Healthy Start

The health of moms and babies tells us a lot about how healthy a community is. All health insurance payers share the cost of caring for babies born with health challenges. Recent studies find that the average medical cost of care in the U.S. for a preterm baby are nearly 4x higher than for a healthy full-term baby, $13,000 and $49,000 respectively. Our independent study of Healthy Start’s first 14 years (1996-2009) shows that babies born to Healthy Start moms in Chester County were healthier than those in the same communities who were not in the program.

So, what sets Healthy Start apart? It’s our comprehensive approach to holistic wellness, starting from pregnancy to early parenthood. Central to our mission are our dedicated Community Health Workers, trained in evidence-based practices like the Parents as Teachers curriculum and trauma-informed care.

Through personalized home visits using the nationally recognized Parents as Teachers curriculum, they provide a range of services, including prenatal and postnatal health education, informal mental health support, health screenings, referrals, and wellness goal setting. Additionally, our interactive parent-child activities are designed to enhance infant motor and cognitive skills, laying a strong foundation for development. Pregnant and parenting individuals can enroll at any stage up until 3 months postpartum.