Our Impact

Since its inception 20 years ago, Baltimore  Healthy Start has provided services for more than 13,000 pregnant and postpartum women.  Each year, more than 1,000 families are served by Healthy Start.

Birth weight is the single most important indicator of infant death; improving birth weight improves survival.

In 2008, Healthy Start clients surpassed the Surgeon General's Healthy People 2010  goal for very low birth weight at .6% of live births (the Healthy People 2010 goal is .9%).

"Most programs that provide pre and perinatal care for women and children rely on referral lists from doctors and local clinics rather than the kind of aggressive, one-on-one outreach practiced by Healthy Start recruiters.  But those programs often miss the poorest, least-educated women who don't show up on hospital and clinic radar screens, yet need the most help."

Baltimore Sun editorial, November 9, 2008

Stories From Healthy Start Clients

       Ms. QF, age 19 
Ms. QF has been a client for over a year and birthed a son that weighed 8 lbs., 1 ounce. She has participated in the “Mommy and Me” playgroups, GED classes, and family planning services where she receives her birth control in her home. Ms. QF is in need of the basics and when she needed pampers, her advocate, Florence, came to the rescue. "I had no baby shower. I had no money for a play pen and no one to buy one for me. Healthy Start gave me a Pack and Play, a onesie for the baby, a bib, pacifier and bottles, and I used all of it. I would recommend Healthy Start - I thank Healthy Start a lot!”

  Ms. AG, age 21
Ms. AG delivered a healthy baby girl in May 2010 and in her own words:   "Healthy Start is there when I need them - even out of the blue, like when my outreach worker called to remind me to get my HINI shot. The staff don’t mind helping which makes the program better. The GED instructor - Mr. Williams - makes the effort. The driver opens the doors for women and picks up the car seats - you don’t see that other places. People don’t mind helping and love their jobs."

                                Ms. CC, age 27
Ms. CC joined Healthy Start about two years ago after learning about the program at a community block party.  She’s participated in the breastfeeding groups and when her 7 lb. 2 ounce baby boy was born, she nursed for one month. Ms. CC is also attending GED classes  and the “My Baby and Me” playgroups, where she especially loved the arts and craft projects she did with her children. Healthy Start has provided a car seat and playpen for her family and Ms. CC said, “I learned how to care for my baby - and myself - things I didn’t know, like breastfeeding.”