The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County has become the new service provider for the Healthy Start Coalition of Okaloosa and Walton Counties, offering free home visiting services to pregnant and parenting women and their infants.
- The Healthy Start program provides education, health support and community resources to eligible families. The program is available statewide and voluntary, serving families regardless of insurance coverage from early pregnancy through a baby’s first birthday, with possible extensions to age 3 when needed.
“Selecting DOH-Okaloosa as our new service provider was the obvious choice, as the coalition already collaborates with the department on many common goals in maternal and infant health,” said Ardelle Bush, Healthy Start’s executive director.
The program will be managed through DOH-Okaloosa’s Women, Infants, and Children office, where seven staff members will coordinate with referred clients. Each staff member maintains a caseload of approximately 35 to 40 clients.
- Elizabeth Smith, health officer of DOH-Okaloosa, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, calling the Healthy Start program “a valuable resource for improving the health of infants and pregnant women in our community.”
Healthy Start works to reduce risk factors associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, infant mortality and poor developmental outcomes. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a volunteer board of directors.
Families interested in learning more about the program can visit www.healthystartokawalton.org or call 850-833-9284.
