Healthy Start CAN
The Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center’s Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Racial/Ethnic Disparities grant number 49MC27811, funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is targeted to the needs of vulnerable mothers and infants living in communities in Hinds County which have exceptional high rates of infant mortality. The Program works with women of child bearing age and their children through their second birthday. The Healthy Start Program also involves fathers, offering parenting support, and working to strengthen family resilience, creating foundation for the optimal infant and young child health and development.
The Community Action Network (CAN) serves as the primary liaison between Healthy Start and the community. The primary purpose is to achieve collective impact: an innovative and structured approach to making collaboration work across government, business, philanthropy, non-profit, health organizations and citizens to achieve significant and lasting social change. The goals for the Healthy Start CAN are to: reduce preterm births, decrease low birth weight, improve maternal health, increase breastfeeding, reduce SIDS & other related deaths, increase partner involvement, and strengthen family resilience.