Boston Healthy Start Initiative
The Boston Healthy Start Initiative (BHSI) provides direct support to pregnant and parenting women, children, and families. It provides care coordination, connection to resources, health education, and advocacy.
The Boston Healthy Start Initiative (BHSI) coordinates the Community Action Network (CAN). CAN is a community coalition focused on reducing inequities in infant mortality and poor birth outcomes through policy strategies.
Services
BHSI is a free and voluntary program. It is open to self-identified black women in Boston who are pregnant or parenting children up to the age of 18 months.
Women enrolled in BHSI work one on one with staff called "Family Partners". Family Partners support participants in having healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.
Other ways Family Partners provide support include:
- Discussing information related to healthy pregnancies, infant health, and parenting. This includes prenatal nutrition, breastfeeding and infant feeding, development, and more
- Connecting women to resources and programs to access food, employment, housing, child care, and other support as needed
- Helping coordinate medical care and other services such as father engagement and support, home visiting nurses, WIC nutritional support, and more
- Supporting families to advocate for their needs
Join us to reduce racial inequities in infant mortality and poor birth outcomes in Boston.
BHSI Sites
Bowdoin Street Health Center | (617) 754-0101 |
Codman Square Health Center | (617) 822-8387 |
Healthy Baby / Healthy Child Program | (617) 534-5832 |
Mattapan Community Health Center | (617) 898-9063 |
Whittier Street Health Center |
(617) 989-3024 (617) 989-3070 |