57 Groups Voice their Support for Highly Successful Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, a broad coalition of organizations came together to urge the United States Congress to consider the Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2007 (S. 1760, H.R. 3267), bipartisan legislation that would continue the Healthy Start program, which provides community-based grants that help our nation’s most disadvantaged children to survive infancy and live longer, more productive lives.

A letter of support spearheaded by First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization, and the National Healthy Start Association, was sent today to the Senate and the House of Representatives, encouraging the importance of this key children’s program. The letter has been signed by a strong and cross-cutting group of over 57 organizations, from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the March of Dimes to the United Way of America and Easter Seals. The legislation has been passed by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and is awaiting consideration by the full Senate. Companion legislation is pending before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“America can do better than ranking first in health care spending and twenty-eighth in the number of infants who die before their first birthday,” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus. “We can do better, and a strong Healthy Start program is important to help save lives and give all children a healthy start in life. Although the program has been underfunded in recent years, this legislation is a strong signal that Congress is serious about reversing that trend. Moreover, this letter, signed by an impressive list of groups, is further evidence of the bipartisan nature of this program and the broad support that exists due to its effectiveness.”

The legislation increases Healthy Start’s funding authorization to $120 million, then indexes the authorization to inflation. It also places new emphasis on community-based partnerships and comprehensive health services for pregnant women. In addition, the legislation supports evaluation of Healthy Start’s effectiveness in reducing racial disparities.

“Without a doubt, Healthy Start programs have been incredibly successful at reducing infant mortality and improving the health of newborns and their mothers. For example, the rate of low-birth weight infants among participants in Healthy Start decreased from 12.1 percent in 1998 to 9.3 percent in 2004. This is compared to an overall increase in the percentage of low-birth weight infants in the general population,” the letter reads.

Sadly, as federal funding has stagnated, the approximately 100 Healthy Start centers nationwide have struggled to keep pace with increasing need, and the consequences have begun to show. Infant mortality rates have increased in recent years, reversing a decades-long trend of progress. Southern states and African Americans have been hit hardest, and babies born to African American women in the U.S. are more than twice as likely to die before their first birthday than babies born to white mothers.

In the Senate, the legislation is sponsored by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Richard Burr (R-NC). Similar legislation (H.R. 3267) is sponsored by Rep. Ed Towns (D-NY) and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) in the U.S. House of Representatives.