When a new baby is on the way, the hopes and dreams of a family grow right alongside the tiny life developing inside the womb. But for too many families in Delaware County, those early months are overshadowed by serious challenges, limited access to healthcare, unstable housing, and the stress of making ends meet. These struggles don’t just weigh on parents; they directly impact the health of babies, sometimes with heartbreaking results.
That is where Healthy Start steps in. For more than two decades, Healthy Start has been a lifeline for families, walking with them through pregnancy, birth, and the critical first 18 months of a child’s life. Each year, more than 700 families are supported through this program, and the impact is undeniable. Healthy Start services are available to pregnant and new parents in Chester and surrounding communities and countywide to pregnant and new parents with Keystone First Medical Assistance (also known as MA or Medicaid).
What Healthy Start Does
At its heart, Healthy Start is about meeting families where they are. The program pairs parents with caring case managers who provide home visits, guidance, and connections to resources. Support can look different for every family; sometimes it’s help navigating prenatal appointments, other times it’s coaching on infant care, or even guidance on financial literacy and parenting skills.
Healthy Start goes beyond health education. Through a unique Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP), families can also access free legal support, something many never thought would be available to them. Housing is another priority: with the H.O.P.E. initiative (Housing Opportunities Program for Equity), Healthy Start helps families find and maintain stable housing. Because when parents don’t have to worry about eviction or unsafe housing, they can focus on nurturing their new baby.
Language and cultural barriers can often prevent families from getting the help they need. Healthy Start works with trusted partners like El Centro, which provides translation services, appointment support, and warm connections to other community resources.
Why It Matters
The need for Healthy Start is urgent. The City of Chester has the highest infant mortality rate in the Commonwealth. Countywide, babies born to Black mothers have worse outcomes than those born to white mothers. Behind those numbers are real families, parents mourning babies who might have thrived if they had access to the right care and support. Healthy Start is designed to change that story by addressing the root causes of poor birth outcomes: lack of prenatal care, chronic stress, housing instability, poverty, and systemic inequities.
Support from Healthy Start makes a big difference in families’ lives. From 2005 through 2020, participants in Healthy Start experienced half the infant mortality rate of the City of Chester as a whole. Although the infant mortality rate has crept up in recent years due to the combined effects of the recent hospital closure, the housing affordability crisis, and the ongoing impact of the pandemic, Healthy Start continues to be a strong protective factor for healthy babies.
How Healthy Start Improves Birth Outcomes
The program’s approach is both practical and compassionate. By ensuring families receive consistent medical care, stable housing, and emotional support, Healthy Start directly reduces the risks associated with pregnancy and early infancy. Stress, for example, is a well-documented contributor to preterm births and low birthweights. When families have a trusted case manager, a safe place to live, and the reassurance that someone is in their corner, those risks decrease.
Healthy Start also helps families plan for the future. Parents learn how to advocate for themselves in medical settings, manage their finances, and set up stable environments for their children. These skills ripple forward, giving children a stronger foundation for health and well-being.
A Community Investment in Families
Healthy Start isn’t just about numbers and grants. It’s about the mother who feels less alone because she has someone to call when she’s scared. It’s about the father who learns how to soothe his newborn. It’s about the baby who gets to celebrate a first birthday because their family had the support they needed from day one.