What is Healthy Start?
Healthy Start is a federally funded program whose mandate is to encourage healthy pregnancies, improve birth outcomes, and reduce the infant mortality rate. There are many Healthy Start programs throughout the country; each one is a little different, but they all have the same mission: to reach out to pregnant woman and their families and provide services to encourage healthy birth outcomes and healthy families.

Healthy Start in the District
In the summer of 2000, Mary’s Center was awarded the grant through HRSA (Health Resources and Service Admin istration) at the US Department of Health & Human Services Public Health Service to provide Healthy Start services in Wards 1, 2, and 4. Healthy Start has existed in the District, in Wards 7 and 8, since 1992, and in Wards 5 and 6, since 1998, under the Department of Health, and also funded through HRSA.

Our Goal and Who We Serve
The specific goal of Community Healthy Start is to reach pregnant and post partum women and their families, and provide education, support, and advocacy to ensure that they are receiving quality, comprehensive medical care and social services. We accept referrals from any source for women who are pregnant or who are within one month post partum residing in Wards 1, 2, or 4. We work with families until the child reaches one year of age.

Our Staff
Our Healthy Start looks like this: currently, we have four Family Support Workers, an Outreach Worker, a Community Counselor, and a Nurse. We are in the process of hiring two additional Family Support Workers. All of our staff are based at Mary's Center, except three of our Family Support Workers who work mainly from Washington Free Clinic, Upper Cardozo/ Unity Health Care, and The Family Place.

If you would like to learn more about Community Healthy Start, please call Katy Gingles, Program Manager, at (202) 483 - 8319 Ext 357.