{"id":39,"date":"2016-11-23T13:18:52","date_gmt":"2016-11-23T13:18:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/family-home-visiting\/?page_id=39"},"modified":"2025-10-02T13:08:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T13:08:01","slug":"healthy-start-loving-steps","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/family-home-visiting\/healthy-start-loving-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy Start Loving Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"home\"Pregnancy and parenting are pivotal life stages. Support and services to families during this critical period can impact the health and well being of a family, a community and future generations.<\/p>\n

The goal of Healthy Start is to reduce infant mortality and perinatal health disparities by delivering high-quality, effective prevention strategies to individuals, families and communities. The program strives to primarily serve African American and Hispanic families who are at highest risk for life stressors and loss during pregnancy and parenting.<\/p>\n

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What is infant mortality?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Infant mortality is defined by the number of infant deaths (before age one) per 1,000 live births and is a critical indicator in the overall health and welfare of a community.<\/p>\n

Program Overview | The Five Healthy Start Approaches<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. Improve women\u2019s health before, during and after pregnancy<\/p>\n

2. Promote quality services, with a focus on required core competencies and standardized interventions<\/p>\n

3. Strengthen family resilience, by engaging both parents and addressing some of the stress that underlies many disparities in birth outcomes<\/p>\n

4. Achieve collective impact, serving as a community hub that drives collective improvements<\/p>\n

5. Increase accountability through quality improvement, performance monitoring and evaluation<\/p>\n

Services and Collective Impact\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n