The Boston Healthy Start Initiative has been part of a national initiative to reduce racial inequities in infant mortality and poor birth outcomes for the past 25 years. BHSI provides direct support to pregnant and parenting women, children and families through care coordination, connection to resources, health education, and advocacy. Read below to learn more about BHSI services. 

BHSI also coordinates the Community Action Network (CAN), which is a community coalition that focuses on reducing the inequities in infant mortality and poor birth outcomes through policy strategies. More information on CAN is located at the bottom of this page. ​

BHSI is a free and voluntary program open to women in Boston who are pregnant or parenting children up to the age of 18 months.

Women who enroll in BHSI have the opportunity to work one on one with staff called 'Family Partners' who support them to have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies

BHSI Family Partners work with women and families to support them in different ways depending on their needs, including:

• Discussing information related to healthy pregnancies, infant health, and parenting such as prenatal nutrition, safe sleep, breastfeeding and infant feeding, infant safety, child development, and more;
  

• Connecting women to resources and programs that help them access food, education, employment, housing, child care, and other support as needed;
  

• Helping to coordinate medical care and other services such as father engagement and support, home visiting nurses, WIC nutritional support, legal services, immigration support, etc. and;
  

• ​Supporting families to advocate for their needs.
  

Below is a list of sites that offer BHSI services. Contact sites directly to learn how to enroll in their BHSI services.