September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month
On Sept. 4, the Healthy Start Coalition of Osceola County, with the help of the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce, held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its new New York Avenue office.
Community members such as Dirk Webb, Rep. Paula Stark, the St. Cloud Police Department and more came out in support of the Coalition. The event was planned this week to bring awareness to Infant Mortality Month.
The Healthy Start Coalition of Osceola County is a non-profit 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.
“We couldn’t do the work we do without the help of the community,” said Healthy Start Coalition of Osceola Executive Director Kerri Stephen. She’s been dedicated to ensuring and helping create healthy families with programs and classes aimed towards educating and assisting families before, during, and after childbirth.
Its goal is to improve pregnancy, health and developmental outcomes for residents of Osceola County by working to reduce infant mortality and morbidity, low birth weight and preterm births and increase access to care. It’s all in the name of giving all children the best potential for a healthy and productive life.
“This is so important to us,” Stephen said. “With the work we do, we aim to prevent infant mortality and improve birth and infant health and developmental outcomes.” Stephen expressed her joy and gratitude towards the passion shown by the members within the Coalition in the work that they’ve done and will continue to do.
On Sept. 1, 2022, the National Healthy Start Association declared September as Infant Mortality Awareness Month, to bring awareness to the rate of infants that die each year before they reach their first birthday. On Sept. 20, the Healthy Start Coalition will hosting a full day of events starting with a nutrition class at their office in partnership with Second Harvest Food bank. Then, at the Hart Memorial Library, it will host a combined Community Action Group and Case Review Team committee meeting. This meeting will allow the Coalition to gain a better understanding of factors that can be attributed to fetal and infant mortalities, gaps in care or resources and to make a plan of action.
At 4 p.m., the day will end with an Infant Mortality Awareness walk to honor the 39 infants who passed in Osceola County last year. Registration will be at 3:30 p.m.
On Oct. 11, the Coalition will host a T.E.A.M Dad graduation, for a group of fathers who have completed the program which entails 12 sessions of 24/7 Dad. Fathers and fatherfigures with a child three years or younger can receive education, training and support on fatherhood, including with: Parenting and co-parenting, improving child development, building healthy family & community relationships, workforce development & economic stability, and personal development with T.E.A.M Dad.
All programs, events, and services at the Healthy Start Coalition are open and free for residents to join. For more information, visit healthystartosceola.org or call 407-891-9199.
