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The program's objectives
are multifaceted. They include:
 Healthier
pregnancies and reduced rates of birth complications
and infant
morbidity and mortality.
A
lowered incidence of child abuse and neglect.
Promoting
healthy child development through an emphasis on
immunizations
and other preventive health care.
Enhanced
parental care giving, developmental stimulation and
parent-child
interactions by providing role
models and teaching parent education skills.
Preventing
unintended repeat pregnancies among teenagers.
Program
Accomplishments
Over four years, 600
women who received services at the Hampton Health
Department were assessed as needing supportive home
visitation services, and invited to participate in the
program. Of this total, 174 women were assigned to a
comparison group, which received the full range of
normal health department services. Of the remaining 426
mothers, 393 - or 92 percent - accepted the invitation
to enroll in Healthy Start. Most of these participants
had completed high school (63 percent), were unmarried
(87 percent) and were Medicaid eligible (85 percent).
The following goals were
achieved through participation in the Healthy Start
program:
High-risk
pregnancies were reduced. In fact, 85 percent of
program mothers
had no pregnancy risk factors. There were
also decreased delivery risk factors
and birth complications.
The
number of children appropriately immunized increased
dramatically. An
average of 92 percent of two-year old
Healthy Start children were immunized
compared to Virginia's average of 69
percent.
Healthy
Start families provided and maintained more nurturing
and stimulating
home environments for their children.
The
rate of repeat teen births was reduced to eight
percent among program
participants, compared to a
citywide rate of 36 percent and a 30 percent rate
throughout Virginia.
After
two years, participating families reduced their rate
for child abuse and
neglect.
Conclusions
and Results
The results of the
Healthy Start program are extremely encouraging. Early
findings show significant reductions in pregnancy risk
factors and birth complications, improved immunization
rates and increased well-child check-ups, a drop in
repeat teen pregnancies and a decrease in child abuse
and neglect.
 As Hampton
moves forward into the next century it will expand the
scope of its program. By the year 2002, Healthy Start
services should reach all families within Hampton who
would benefit from receiving Home Visiting Services. By the year 2003, a projected 943
families will receive this intensive home visiting
service.
To better
identify families in need of these services,
partnerships are being formed with hospitals and local
obstetricians, and assessments will be completed in
physicians' offices and clinics. Community services will
provide substance abuse prevention and treatment, and
the Hampton school system will meet the needs of
preschool-age children who have developmental delays or
who would otherwise benefit from preschool activities.
An ongoing evaluation of home visitation services will
identify areas of success and refine and improve Healthy
Start as it evolves in the future.
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