Healthy Start Coalition of Flagler & Volusia

Healthy Start Coalitions were created by the Florida Legislature in 1991 as part of the landmark Healthy Start initiative (s.383.2161, F.S.). The intent of the Healthy Start initiative is to improve the health and well-being of Florida’s pregnant women and young children. Two of the major components of this comprehensive legislation were the creation of the Healthy Start program and the Healthy Start Coalitions. The Healthy Start Coalitions were given the legislative mandate to ensure that adequate and accessible systems of care are in place for all pregnant women and young children. In order to achieve this comprehensive directive, Healthy Start Coalitions are required to perform a number of key functions, including the following:

• Building and maintaining broad community input and collaboration.
• Increasing overall public awareness of the importance of investing in pregnant women and children.
• Performing short and long range planning for the target population.
• Allocating available federal and state maternal and child health funds on a local level for the provision of Healthy Start services