Guest opinion: A Mother's Day celebration of Florida's Healthy Start

In 1992 Florida Governor Lawton Chiles signed a pioneering measure into law creating Healthy Start. It was hallmark legislation designed to support motherhood by providing access to comprehensive screening for all pregnant women and babies and providing services for those at risk.

This year we celebrate Healthy Start Florida’s 30th birthday. Our state’s 32 Healthy Start Coalitions are responsible for creating systems of care in every community as well as providing services for pregnant women and young children up to the age of three.

Since Healthy Start was enacted, Florida has been home to more than 6.6-million newborns. Over the decades since implementation of the model, our state’s infant mortality rate has been reduced by 32-percent…the best reduction in the nation.

Today, a century after the creation of Mother’s Day, more than 30-years since the implementation of Healthy Start, we now find ourselves some two years into battling a serious pandemic. All mothers and babies are at risk. They and our valiant health care providers are treading in uncharted waters. All of us, especially pregnant women, are forced to meet challenges in this new age of anxiety, isolation, and social distancing.

Healthy Start is an essential service. Throughout the COVID 19 pandemic, we are resolute to adapt and to fulfill our vital charge. We are working to connect with moms through virtual platforms, video childbirth education, and nutrition access. We are entrusted by law to support the most vulnerable and take that responsibility with great resolve.

As we progress forward in our mission, we are honored to bear witness to the strength and love our mothers share with their young children. It is inspiring to see the view from where we are as helpers, guides and allied advocates. This role makes us think twice…once for our Healthy Start community colleagues and twice for the moms and babies we serve every day.

It is important to remember that the highest rate of return on investment is during the earliest years (ages 0-3).

The ultimate return on investment is outcomes. Just two years ago, on the eve of the COVID outbreak, Healthy Start launched a completely redesigned program. An early report on the outcomes shows 91% of clients had a normal birthweight baby who received the model as designed.

According to the March of Dimes, one preterm baby averages $15,000 in Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) costs. This does not include the potential costs of developmental services throughout childhood. The return on investment on pre-natal health services is $10.00 saved per $1.00 investment.

The Casey Family Foundation reports that home visiting has strong evidence for promoting positive outcomes for mothers and young children. Outcomes related to cognitive development, high school graduation rates, family economic self-sufficiency, and maternal and child health all show improvement with home visiting services.

We appreciate the support of the Florida Legislature, Governor Ron DeSantis, and all of our community partners whose investments in quality care is making a significant difference in our successful mission.

Every baby needs a chance for a Healthy Start…on Mother’s Day and all through the year.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida's Healthy Start program celebrating 30 years of care