Our history
Overview
The North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation was established
in 1990 with a five year, $5 million pledge from Glaxo,
Inc. for the purpose of providing leadership in the
state's effort to reduce North Carolina's unacceptably
high infant mortality rate. The Foundation coordinated
the Governor's Commission on Reduction of Infant Mortality,
also created that same year, in response to North Carolina's
designation as the state with the highest infant mortality
rate in the country.
Since its inception, the Foundation has grown into
a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization
dedicated to reducing infant death and illness and
to improving the health of women and young children
in North Carolina. Over the last 15 years, the Foundation
has been instrumental in the state's 35% reduction
in infant mortality rates; through widespread outreach
strategies and policy initiatives, the Foundation has
brought about fundamental change in the state's effort
to reduce infant death.
Public Education Initiatives
Over the last decade, the Foundation has been recognized
three times by the National Healthy Mothers Healthy
Babies Coalition for coordinating the best
sustained public information campaigns in the country.
All of the Foundation's six highly visible and successful public
education campaigns focus on improving the health
of women, babies and children. Topics range from women's
health (pre-pregnancy), pregnancy, reduction of the
risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), children's
health insurance and creating a "medical home" for
children. Efforts are also focused to reach African
American and American Indian populations, groups at
high risk for low birthweight and premature babies
-- the single greatest cause of infant death in the
state.
Community Grants Program
Through the Foundation's Community Grants Program
(1990-95 and 1997-02), $4 million of much needed funding
was awarded to 269 public and private agencies serving
nearly all of the state's 100 counties. Preference
for the funding was given to geographic areas with
high infant death rates or high numbers, model infant
mortality reduction programs, and existing programs
that focused on the major strategies known to reduce
infant death and illness, such as smoking cessation,
improving access to prenatal care and reduction of
infections.
Partnerships
From the outset, the Foundation has maintained unique
public/private partnerships, developing strong relationships
with state government agencies, coordinating its work
with existing statewide organizations, and soliciting
input from local and statewide coalitions.
As a founding, and currently active, member of the
North Carolina Folic Acid Council, the Foundation promotes
the importance of women taking a daily multivitamin
with folic acid to prevent some birth defects. In addition,
the Foundation has spent the past 15 years working
in conjunction with the N.C. Department of Health and
Human Services to promote the NC Family Health Resource
Line (1-800-367-2229 / 1-800- FOR-BABY) -- the state's
only bilingual telephone information and referral service
about women's health, pregnancy and raising healthy
children.
This combination of collaborative partnerships, award-winning
public education campaigns, a successful grant program
and role as advisor to government agencies and other
nonprofit organizations has been instrumental to the
Foundation's success. However, much work still needs
to be done. A statewide Summit on Low Birthweight and
Prematurity, convened by the Foundation in 2003, culminated
in the dissemination of an Infant Mortality report
in 2004 and concluded that infant mortality in North
Carolina remains a major public health problem.
Today, the Foundation continues its work to significantly
reduce infant death and illness in North Carolina.
This includes expanding and solidifying new partnerships,
enhancing media involvement, increasing public awareness
and reaching out to the state's increasing Latino population.
All these activities, taken together, will further
the Foundation's efforts to improve the health of mothers
and save the lives of babies across the state.
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