On Feb. 4 the Florida Department of Health and Department of Children and Families announced additional wraparound support for life from pregnancy and beyond with the launch of a new website called “Strong Florida Moms”. This new initiative helps support Florida women through motherhood and provides expanded resources on “Father First”, where dads can seek trusted information and vital resources on fatherhood. Whether preparing for pregnancy, navigating the first years of parenthood, or seeking community support, both sites aim to serve as a resource for all stages of parenting.
Kerri Stephen, executive director for the Healthy Start Coalition of Osceola County, said the Coalition was happy to have such a website created by the state as an educational resource to share with their clients and that it’s one more avenue to spread awareness to new and expecting parents about the programs and services offered.
Strong Florida Moms and the expanded resources on Father First will provide a wide variety of information and resources tailored to meet the needs of Florida families. These include what to expect during and after pregnancy, health care provider resources, information on child developmental milestones, and answers to many of the questions Florida moms and dads may have about parenting. Parents can also find free classes and events available statewide about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, safe sleep, car seat safety, and more.
“We know that education combined with the personalized care of our professional home visitors contributes to our client’s healthy outcomes, including an infant mortality rate 42% lower than the state average, an achievement that we are very proud of,” Stephen said.
The Healthy Start Coalition of Osceola County is a nonprofit established in 1994 to develop and implement quality systems of care for maternal and child health, as well as allocate the related health care dollars going into the community. Community leaders, health care providers, consumers and residents make up the membership of the coalition, according to healthystartosceola.org.
“It’s really nice seeing priority given to supporting families, and I truly believe that it does take a village and many working together to see great impact. It is especially our ongoing commitment to give every baby a healthy start in life,” Stephen said.
She also noted the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions will be launching a new website sometime in March to expand upon their commitment of working to improve the health of pregnant women, mothers, babies and families through statewide advocacy and initiatives that support local communities.
