Program - Start Ahead, in some respects, is like a Head Start program for babies, except intervention takes place while the babies are still in their mother's wombs.
Statistics demonstrate that healthy pregnancies produce healthier, more thriving babies.
The goals of Start Ahead are to educate, and provide the environment and support system for expectant mothers to learn and actualize healthy habits, attitudes, and behaviors throughout their pregnancies. In addition, the mothers attend weekly parenting classes sponsored by a grant from The Children's Trust Fund and work with a caring housemother on a daily basis who makes sure the women get to their medical appointments, take their vitamins, and learn how to prepare healthy meals. The objective of the Start Ahead program is to see the mothers give birth to healthier babies and then to continue to nurture their babies with positive and healthy parenting skills. Start Ahead participants are housed separately from the rest of the population we serve, and because their residence is attached to our day care center there are many other positive results. The women are exposed to positive interactions between our child care workers and the babies and older children on a regular basis.