The Healthy Start program and Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition are celebrating a special milestone: 30 years! In 1991, faced with an alarmingly high infant mortality rate, then-Governor Lawton Chiles and First Lady Rhea Chiles convened a group of community leaders and challenged them to build local coalitions to improve birth outcomes. The result was… Read More

During National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month, the Coalition and community partners trained more than 100 people on safe sleep. The effort was organized by the Community Action Group Safe Sleep Subcommittee to ensure professionals and community members in Northeast Florida had information on how to prevent sleep-related deaths. A total of 173… Read More

During National Infant Mortality Awareness Month in September, 25 trained infant mortality advocates spread across the Jacksonville zip codes with the highest infant death rates to provide education and facilitate conversations about how to improve birth outcomes. As part of a Make a Noise! Make a Difference! social marketing campaign funded by the Kids Hope… Read More

The fifth annual Community Baby Shower was held September 25th for pregnant and new moms at Pearl Plaza, home to host the Magnolia Project and Healthy Start/the Community Programs Office. State Rep. Tracie Davis returned as event sponsor, with 200 families receiving information, education and supplies during the event. The Baby Shower is held annually… Read More

The NEFL Nurse-Family Partnership program celebrated 51 families at a drive-thru graduation on October 2 at UF Health Jacksonville. The families — two-year old children and their mothers — are graduates of the evidence-based home-visiting program that ensures local moms have the education and resources to have a healthy baby. NFP program launched in Jacksonville… Read More