A Healthy Start to help form healthy families with grant funding

  • The Healthy Start Coalition of Osceola County, which works to promote and assist the health and well-being of mothers, babies and families in the community, has received grant funding from health insurance advocacy group Simply Healthcare, and it’s putting those dollars right to use to support a new initiative. (Photo/Healthy Start of Osceola County)
    The Healthy Start Coalition of Osceola County, which works to promote and assist the health and well-being of mothers, babies and families in the community, has received grant funding from health insurance advocacy group Simply Healthcare, and it’s putting those dollars right to use to support a new initiative. (Photo/Healthy Start of Osceola County)

    The Healthy Start Coalition of Osceola County, which works to promote and assist the health and well-being of mothers, babies and families in the community, has received grant funding from health insurance advocacy group Simply Healthcare, and it’s putting those dollars right to use to support a new initiative.

    Parents on the Move: Healthy Starts with You, designed to promote health and wellness among parents, caregivers, and the Osceola County community, debuts with an event at the Kissimmee Lakefront on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 9 a.m. (meet at Big Toho Marina).

    Along with the walking meetups like that event, the initiative will also offer fitness and nutrition workshops aimed at encouraging sustainable, healthy habits. Healthy Start Executive Director Kerri Stephen said Parents on the Move seeks to reduce risk factors associated with adverse birth outcomes by creating accessible and supportive opportunities for physical activity and education.

    “We are grateful to Simply Healthcare for investing in this project and in the families of Osceola County,” Stephen said. “This funding allows us to expand our prevention efforts by addressing maternal health before, during, and after pregnancy, an essential step in preventing infant mortality and supporting healthy starts for our babies.”

    Participants who attend the kickoff will receive a Parents on the Move T-shirt and a Healthy Start Kit, which includes a water bottle, fitness bands, a portion-control nutrition plate, and healthy recipe cards. The event will also feature a raffle drawing with health- and fitness-related prizes.

    With the help of the grant, Healthy Start will also be able to delve into key findings from the Coalition’s Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) program. FIMR data shows that many infant mortality cases involve mothers with unmanaged preexisting health conditions. Parents on the Move was developed in direct response to those findings, Stephen said, with a focus on supporting healthier lifestyles that can lead to healthier pregnancies, babies, and families.