History & Service Overview

New Haven Healthy Start was an outgrowth of the work of the Commission on Child and Infant Health, which was convened by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven in 1985. The Commission was formed to address the high infant mortality and morbidity rates in New Haven and was a collaboration between health officials, community leaders and child care advocates. Its work provided the base for The Community Foundation’s application for federal funding for a Healthy Start program in New Haven. Since receiving its first Federal grant in 1997, the New Haven Healthy Start (NHHS) team has successfully implemented all core services for a federal Healthy Start program.

New Haven Healthy Start (NHHS), under the direction of New Haven Home Recovery (NHHR), will help to identify high risk pregnant women through intensive outreach and education to local homeless shelters, supportive housing programs and local community resources. Once identified, clients will receive intensive outreach and engagement to encourage participation in the healthy start program.The NHHR Healthy Start Outreach/Case Manager will provide intensive case management services, educational services, and provide outreach/engagement services to this population. Once identified, women will receive weekly to biweekly home visits at their convenience. The educational process will include home visits that are targeted to meet client service needs. Clients will benefit from a prenatal curriculum and will be assisted in connecting with local medical care.  Follow up services will be provided to ensure healthy development and positive birth outcomes.

Client Services

The Healthy Start Outreach/Case Manager will help to identify homeless and high risk pregnant women through intensive outreach and education to local homeless shelters, supportive housing programs and local community resources.  Clients will receive intensive outreach and engagement to encourage participation in the healthy start program.  The NHHR Healthy Start Outreach/Case Manager will provide intensive case management services, educational services, and provide outreach/engagement services to this population. Once identified, women will receive weekly to biweekly home visits at their convenience. The educational process will include home visits that are targeted to meet client service needs. Clients will benefit from a prenatal curriculum and will be assisted in connecting with local medical care.  Follow up services will be provided to ensure healthy development and positive birth outcomes.

Understanding the Need New Haven Healthy Start is focusing its efforts in the African American/ Hispanic population, in which the infant mortality rate is higher than any other race in New Haven. The program looks at all factors influencing birth outcomes, including racial and ethnic health disparities. Research shows that there are significant racial and ethnic health disparities in New Haven. A report entitled Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Low Birth weight for Connecticut (Morin, 2008) notes that African American (30.2%) and Hispanic (26.4%) women are three times more likely to receive late or no prenatal care in New Haven. In 2008, New Haven Healthy Start was successful in increasing the percentage of women entering a prenatal care program by 14%.

Eligibility

Healthy Start supports and services families with young children and promotes wellness for New Haven families with newborns by offering universal, accessible and non-stigmatizing services tailored to the family’s unique situation. Healthy Start offers consenting families universal access to screening and personalized referrals to community services. Families may also receive a Welcome Baby gift packet filled with information about parenting and child development. Families determined to be at higher risk for adverse childhood outcomes (through the use of a standardized research-based screening tool) are offered ongoing home visiting services.
Home visiting services may continue for as long as the family wants to remain engaged, for at least three and up to five years in some situations, depending on the families engagement within the program. Visits assist families in achieving goals around parenting and improved family functioning by building on family strengths.
Today, Healthy Start is a vital link in a network of integrated early childhood services.

New Haven Healthy Start is a program that helps pregnant women and mothers deliver healthy and happy babies. Its primary goal is to reduce the infant mortality and morbidity rate in the City of New Haven. The program was awarded a fourth round of federal funding in 2009 to:

• Help reduce New Haven’s remaining health disparity in infant mortality;
• Increase its emphasis on a multi-pronged outreach strategy;
• Strengthen connections with new community resources; 
• Enhance case management capabilities for working with women at high-risk of poor birth outcomes. (Special outreach will be made to teens, the homeless, and those who lack insurance coverage and who have had previous poor birth outcomes).

Application Process

Care Coordinators/Case Managers make referrals using the referral form. Upon receiving a referral, the Clinical Supervisor will deem the program and services appropriate for the client. The client will then be contacted and an intake appointment is scheduled.

 

 

Community Partners

services

NHHR Initial Referral Form