Parenting & Parent Education

Healthy Start is a free home visiting program that provides education and care coordination to pregnant women and families of children under the age of three. The goal of the program is to lower risk factors associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, infant mortality and poor developmental outcomes.

Healthy Start offers:

Home Visiting
Prenatal and Parenting Education
Interconception Education including Reproductive Life Planning
Stress Management Education
Care Coordination to help families learn about resources available in the community and assistance in accessing those services

Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) is a voluntary program that uses the evidence-based model Parents as Teachers (PAT) to serve families with newborns and young children. The goals of MIECHV/Parents as Teachers are to provide parents with child development knowledge and parenting support, provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, prevent child abuse and neglect, and increase children’s school readiness.

We offer support for caregivers of children who have experienced trauma by providing trauma-Informed trainings, support groups, camps and retreats. We also run a closet for foster/adoptive parents and train cuddlers for substance-exposed newborns at Advent Health’s NICU.

WellFlorida Council is a private, nonprofit organization that was created in 1969. We are the state designated local health council for 16 counties in North Central Florida and are consultants for health causes. In addition to our consultancy services, WellFlorida manages local, state and federally funded programs and nonprofits throughout the region that support our mission and the causes we believe in—maternal, infant and child health, HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and improving access to healthcare, especially in rural communities.