Healthy Start Coalitions Spared But Services Cut

State lawmakers kept the state’s 30 Healthy Start Coalitions intact, but cut $4.7 million in service funding for the program. The final 2010 budget reduced general revenue funding for Healthy Start services for at-risk pregnant women and newborns by $2 million. Loss of these funds prevents the state from drawing down an addition $2.7 million in federal funding.

Advocacy efforts by local Coalition Board volunteers and children’s groups statewide led budget conferees to re-consider a House recommendation eliminating the community-based organizations that are responsible for allocating state and federal dollars to reduce poor birth outcomes.  The Coalitions brought in an additional $30 million statewide in private funding to address local needs which would be lost if public health agencies took over the program.

Expanded Medicaid eligibility for uninsured pregnant women, a key component of the state Healthy Start program when it was passed in 1991, also escaped a proposed roll-back in income limits from 185% to 150% of the federal poverty level. Attempts to expand the scope, geographic coverage and eligible groups included in Medicaid Reform also died before the end of the session.  Proposed plans eliminated the exclusion of pregnant women and other high-risk groups that do not participate in current pilots in Northeast Florida and Broward Counties.

While the Legislature rescinded many proposed funding cuts to prevention and early intervention programs, they slashed funding for Healthy Families Florida by $9.9 million --- a 35% cut.  This program offers intensive home visiting and parenting support to families at-risk for abuse and neglect.  Healthy Start works hand-in-hand with Healthy Families programs throughout the state.  This funding cut will further stretch limited resources available in communities to serve families in need.