The Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA) today announced Healthy Start
grants totaling $9 million for communities in 10 states and
Puerto Rico. The
grants were made possible by an increase in the Healthy Start
budget to $99 million for fiscal year 2002.
The new awards will support
12 current and former Healthy Start grantees whose applications
were approved in FY 2001 competition for Eliminating Disparities
in Perinatal Health grants but were not funded due to insufficient
resources.
“Maternal and infant health
is improving in communities all across America,” said Secretary
Thompson. “Healthy Start supports this upward trend by making
it possible for more women to improve their own health and
the health of their babies.”
The four-year grants will
support community-driven approaches to cut infant mortality
rates by reducing behavioral and medical risk factors and
promoting healthy outcomes for young women and their families.
Beginning with prenatal care and continuing through
the infant’s second year of life, each community awarded funds
will assure the availability of these core set of services
for young families:
·
a community-based consortium;
·
case management and links to health care and
other needed services for mothers and their infants;
·
direct outreach by trained community members;
·
health education to address risk factors; and
·
a plan to mobilize community residents, community-based
organizations and public and private providers to improve
access to quality, comprehensive family-centered services.
Additionally, each
project must incorporate screening and referral for depression
and coordinate activities and services with their State Maternal
and Child Health/Title V Agency.
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