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Healthy Start Program
Stored: Healthy Start Program
| Type | Program |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Organization | Maternal and Child Health Bureau |
| Top Organization | Department of Health and Human Services |
| Creation Legislation | Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-527) |
| Website | Website |
| Purpose | Healthy Start Program funds communities to cut infant mortality and boost maternal health with culturally tailored prenatal care and support. |
| Program Start | 1991 |
| Initial Funding | $24 million |
| Duration | Ongoing |
| Historic | No |
The Healthy Start Program, established in 1991 under the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1990, is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through its Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to provide grants to local organizations, allocating over $2 billion since inception to serve approximately 100,000 women and infants annually by 2025. Initially funded with $24 million, it has grown to distribute $115 million in FY 2024 across 115 awards, funding services like prenatal care, doula support, and mental health screening in high-risk communities.[1] Despite its impact, challenges like funding shortages and rural service gaps persist (web ID: 0), but it remains a key resource for maternal and infant health under HRSA.
Goals
- Reduce infant mortality and improve birth outcomes in communities with high rates of infant death.
- Enhance access to prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care for pregnant women and infants.
- Address health disparities through culturally specific, community-based interventions.[2]
Organization
The Healthy Start Program is managed by MCHB within HRSA, overseen by Administrator Carole Johnson since 2021, with local grantees implementing projects under federal oversight. It operates via annual appropriations, guided by the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act and subsequent funding acts like Public Law 117-328 (2022).[3]
Partners
History
Authorized by the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-527) and launched in 1991 with $24 million, the Healthy Start Program expanded with annual appropriations, reaching $115 million in FY 2024.[4] It grew from serving 15 sites and 10,000 women in 1991 to 115 projects and 100,000 women and infants by 2025, addressing disparities with innovations like community consortia (web ID: 0). By 2025, it has awarded over $2 billion, though GAO notes funding challenges (web ID: 0).
Funding
Initial funding of $24 million in 1991 supported the program’s launch, with over $2 billion appropriated by 2025 via annual HHS budgets—e.g., $115 million in FY 2024.[5] Ongoing appropriations under the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act sustain its operations, with no fixed end as it addresses ongoing maternal and infant health needs.
Implementation
Healthy Start distributes grants annually, requiring grantees to implement community-based interventions to reduce infant mortality, tracked via HRSA’s Performance Measures Framework.[6] It progresses through local partnerships—e.g., 100,000 women and infants yearly—and service expansions, adapting to health needs with no set end, though rural gaps remain a challenge (web ID: 0).
Related
External links
- https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/healthy-start
- https://www.nationalhealthystart.org
- wikipedia:Healthy Start Program
Social media
References
- ↑ "Healthy Start Program". Health Resources and Services Administration. https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/healthy-start.
- ↑ "FY 2024 Healthy Start NOFO". Health Resources and Services Administration. https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/apply-assistance/healthy-start/fy2024-healthy-start-nofo.pdf.
- ↑ "About HRSA Leadership". Health Resources and Services Administration. https://www.hrsa.gov/about/leadership.
- ↑ "Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act". U.S. Congress. https://www.congress.gov/bill/101st-congress/house-bill/5835.
- ↑ "Healthy Start Program". Health Resources and Services Administration. https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/healthy-start.
- ↑ "Performance Measures". Health Resources and Services Administration. https://mchb.hrsa.gov/data-research/performance-measures.