Healthy Start is a home visiting program that provides one-on-one support throughout a woman’s pregnancy. This FREE program is designed to meet the unique needs of each participant to ensure that every baby has a healthy start.

FEP welcomes any pregnant women, infants, and families with children under 3 living in Leon County.

Healthy Start offers a variety of services at no charge:

• Healthy Pregnancy & Parenting Education

• Childbirth Preparation

• Nutrition Education

• Stress management & Emotional Support

• Child Development Education

• Breastfeeding Education & Support

• Women’s Health Education & Support

• Help to Quit Smoking

• Care Coordination

25-26 Outcomes

• Clients Served: 740 total clients supported

• Direct Care & Education:

  • 2,543 face-to-face visits conducted

  • 577 safe sleep demonstrations provided

  • Over 9,000 hours of perinatal and parenting education provided 

• Supplies Distributed:

  • 2,000- 3,000 diapers annually 

  • 25 car seats 

  • 48 pack n plays

Family Empowerment Foundation – Perinatal and Parenting Education: Hosted trainings at this location to strengthen knowledge and skills in supporting families during pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting.

The Healthy Start program provides pregnant moms, newborns, and families with children up to age 3 with the education, support, and resources they need to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Healthy Start services are available to all pregnant women and mothers of newborns and are not based on income or insurance, but are based solely on risk factors that may be present during pregnancy or at the birth of the baby.

• Healthy Start services are free and provided in the home, community settings, one-on-one phone calls, or through video conferencing.

• Healthy Start services are voluntary and provided where most convenient for the family.

• Healthy Start services are based on the family’s needs and proven methods to improve birth outcomes, child development, parent-child interaction, and maternal health.

25-26 Outcomes

• Total Clients Served: 476 clients

• Direct Support: 

  • 2,497 face-to-face visits 

  • Over 7,500 hours of perinatal and parenting education

• Supplies Distributed:

  • Diapers: 12,700

  • 100% of clients are connected to resources that provide car seats and pack n plays at no cost to families. 

  • 100% client given access to the Family Empowerment Project Baby Boutique

Family Empowerment Foundation – Perinatal and Parenting Education: Hosted trainings at this location to strengthen knowledge and skills in supporting families during pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting.

Information

We are honored to bring the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program to Martin County. HIPPY is a nationally recognized, evidence-based home visiting model that empowers parents of 2- to 5-year-olds to be their child’s first teacher. Through weekly home visits and developmentally appropriate curriculum, families build school readiness and confidence together.

Registration for HIPPY here.

Outcomes

• Clients Served: 74 families/individuals

• Hours of Home Education Provided: 841 hours (as of 9/21)

• Program Graduates: 16

• Group Meeting Participants: 232 attendees

• HIPPY Activities Role-Played: 4,205

• Referrals Made for Additional Services: 94 (including developmental screenings, family support, and community assistance)

Family Empowerment Foundation – Perinatal and Parenting Education: Hosted trainings at this location to strengthen knowledge and skills in supporting families during pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting.

Leadership Transition and Data Cleanup: Supported the coalition during a period without executive leadership. FEP secured a new CEO and provided training and support to the board and incoming leader, who has now completed three years of service. FEP was also engaged to complete a data cleanup.

Supported the transition of a new executive and board through collaborative technical assistance. The engagement exceeded expectations and concluded with both the board and executive team expressing satisfaction with the support and outcomes.

FEP has been entrusted with managing Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement (QA/QI) activities for the Healthy Start and Connect programs in Okeechobee County. Our team is focused on ensuring compliance, strengthening service delivery, and supporting the continuous improvement of maternal and child health outcomes. This work reflects our deep expertise in data-driven evaluation and system accountability.

Family Empowerment Foundation – Perinatal and Parenting Education: Hosted trainings at this location to strengthen knowledge and skills in supporting families during pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting.

Recruitment and Organizational Support: FEP is supporting recruitment for key leadership, contracts, and data positions through candidate screening, interview coordination, and standardized evaluation tools. The engagement also includes refining job descriptions, hiring procedures, and onboarding plans to clarify responsibilities and strengthen staff accountability.

Healthy Families Leadership Transition and Training: FEP is supporting leadership succession within the Healthy Families program through recruitment planning, onboarding, staff training, and structured supervision. The engagement focuses on preparing new leadership and maintaining continuity of services during the transition.