Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies - Coalition of Broward County, Inc.


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Our Programs

Prenatal Infant
Health Programs:

Infant Mortality Department:

Educational Opportunities:

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Prenatal Infant Health Programs

Healthy Start Care Coordination

The Care Coordination program, in conjunction with the Broward Healthy Start Coalition, supports families by working to reduce the risk factors that place pregnant women and infants in jeopardy for poor pregnancy and birth outcomes. The nine program and case managers for this program work to ensure that mothers and children receive appropriate interventions and educational services including childbirth, breastfeeding and parenting skill instruction.

Healthy Families

Healthy Families, funded by the Broward Regional Health Planning Council, provides services to pregnant or parenting families at high risk for child neglect and/or abuse. Family support workers assist families to improve all parent-child interactions. Helping families gain self-sufficiency and access to necessary health care and support services are critical aspects of the program. Children served by the program are screened every two months for developmental progress/difficulties while support plans for the parenting mothers are reviewed every three months.

Teen Collaborative

The Teen Collaborative offers in-home case management services to at-risk teenaged girls during their pregnancy and up to their child’s second birthday. Program and case managers assist teens to become good mothers and effective members of their communities by encouraging them to finish school, making themselves employable and empowering them with education on life management and parenting skills. The Teen Collaborative partners with the Children’s Services Council and the United Way of Broward County.

Wellness for Women

Closing the Gap – Wellness for Women addresses gaps in service for pre/interconceptional education and support for women and teens in targeted zip codes identified with high infant mortality. Program services include home visits, phone calls, group activities and public awareness campaigns. Improving access to primary care, family planning, nutrition, and fitness are of paramount importance in this program, as are reducing domestic stress, maternal infections, smoking and health risks to infants including co-sleeping and drowning. GAP finds women with children seeking support between pregnancies having difficulty finding resources including affordable OB/GYN care, postpartum support and bereavement services. This program is funded by the Florida Department of Health.

Maternal/Child Nurturing (Maternal Depression)

The Maternal/Child Nurturing Program services pregnant women and mothers with children ages 0-3 who are experiencing maternal depression. The program, provided in conjunction with the Children’s Services Council of Broward County, aims to prevent child abuse and neglect by improving and replacing poor parenting behaviors with nurturing ones. Both group classes and in-home one-on-one instruction are provided pre-and post-natal. Psychosocial counseling is provided on an individual basis.

Cribs For Kids

HMHB of Broward’s Cribs for Kids (CFK) program was the first CFK chapter in the state of Florida. Hundreds of Graco Pack N’ Play cribs are given out each year for infants whose families are unable to afford them. Too many infant deaths are caused by unsafe sleeping environments, and if the provision of these cribs prevents even one infant death, the program is successful. Mothers and other caregivers are provided with education on SIDS, Back to Sleep, Shaken Baby Syndrome, and other vital sleep related information.

Community Outreach

HMHB is available to all women seeking prenatal services. Trained outreach specialists field calls and provide referrals to appropriate community providers. Outreach to pregnant and parenting women and teens is accomplished through health fairs, links with community providers and outreach campaigns such as the Community Nutrition Project, Make an Appointment, Read to Your Baby and Oral Health Awareness campaigns.

If you are interested in receiving more information about any of these programs or to become a participant, please click here.

Infant Mortality Department

FIMR – Fetal/Infant Mortality Review & PPOR

The Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) is a partnership between the medical community and social service professionals who engage in intensive reviews of infant and fetal deaths in an effort to identify trends that can be addressed by agencies within the community. Funded by the Children’s Services Council of Broward, Broward Healthy Start Coalition and United Way, FIMR looks behind the numbers to discover what is happening on a personal, as well as institutional level, with the goal of enhancing the health and well-being of infants and their families through improved community resources and delivery systems. It is through the Community Resource Team’s (CRT) recommendations to the Community Action Group (CAG), new initiatives are created to improve community resources and service delivery systems available to women, infants and families.

Perinatal Periods of Risk (PPOR) is a methodology that assists in the categorization of fetal and infant deaths into four key areas: maternal health/prematurity, maternal care, newborn care, and infant health. This provides greater insight into where interventions will be most effective by helping reviewers to identify key factors contributing to the death rate while eliminating others. PPOR findings are then incorporated into the case selection process for FIMR.

Click Here to View the 2006 FIMR Report
Click Here to View the 2007 FIMR Report

Pediatric Autopsy Project

To expand on existing fetal and infant mortality reduction strategies, an innovative approach -- the Pediatric Autopsy Project -- was devised to supplement the ongoing Fetal and Infant Mortality Review in Broward County. This effort was established in collaboration with the Broward County Commission, Broward Health (formerly the North Broward Hospital District), the Children’s Services Council of Broward County, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Broward County, and the Broward County Health Department.

The Pediatric Autopsy Project was an innovative project which provided access to fetal and infant autopsy diagnostic services at no cost to Broward County residents who had suffered a loss for a period of four years from 2003-2007. A total of 193 fetal autopsies and 58 infant autopsies were performed under this project which greatly expanded the amount of information available on the causes of perinatal mortality in Broward County. Based on the outcome of the project, over 40% of fetal and infant deaths in Broward County are considered preventable. Reduction of preventable deaths due to infection, SIDS, maternal medical causes, accidents and homicide would have the largest impact on overall perinatal mortality.

Click Here to View the Full Pediatric Autopsy Report

Forget Me Not®

The Forget Me Not® program began in 1996 as a means of recognizing the babies of Broward County who had passed away before their 1st birthday. Sadly, more than 300 babies die in Broward County each year. It may be complications of birth/prematurity, SIDS/SUID, unsafe sleep environments, unforeseen accidents… the list is endless. Through Forget Me Not, HMHB of Broward is able to aid families during this tragic time in their lives and help them to recover.

Forget Me Not encompasses three primary functions towards helping a bereaved family: financial assistance for families to bury or cremate their baby, ongoing bereavement support, and the annual Forget Me Not event.

The Forget Me Not Fund assists these grieving families in need to lay their babies to rest with dignity and respect. Working with area funeral homes, the fund provides $250 for a cremation and $500 for a burial to families who have lost a baby between 20 weeks gestation and up to one year of life and who meet the financial criteria. If you know someone in need of assistance, please refer (link to referral page) them to our agency. If you would like to support the fund to ensure that every baby who needs our help receives it, please donate to the fund.

All families, regardless of income, can contact FIMR Program Manager Michelle Reese at 954-765-0550 ext. 328 to receive emotional support through our private peer bereavement support and/or the Healing Your Heart support group. Both opportunities for bereavement guidance are offered by trained specialists who understand the inexpressible and overwhelming sadness felt during a time of loss. One-on-one peer support is offered via telephone or in person to any mother or father who needs help in the weeks and months following the death of their baby. Bereaved families are also encouraged to join Healing Your Heart on the second Thursday of each month to be in company of others who are feeling the pain and sadness as well. During such a tragic time, it’s good to know you’re not alone and HMHB of Broward is there to help.

Download flyer of Healing Your Heart Support Group

HMHB of Broward’s Annual Forget Me Not® Event is a memorial tradition which brings friends and families together to remember all of the babies who have died but are not forgotten. The Forget Me Not event is free and everyone is welcome, whether you lost your baby yesterday or years ago, this is a time to remember and to be with others who have suffered a similar loss.

Donations and sponsorships for the Forget Me Not® Event are requested to support the Forget Me Not Fund.

Educational Opportunities

HMHB of Broward is recognized as a leader in maternal/child health in Broward County. In addition to the many services offered, several educational opportunities are provided free of charge to the community. If you would like more information on one of the following topics, please contact Michelle Reese.

Infant Safe Sleep/SIDS
Bereavement & Sensitivity
Broward County Fetal/Infant Mortality
Pediatric Autopsy Program Outcomes & Future Activities

Additional educational topics may be available and may require a small fee.