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WHEREAS, Healthy Start, a federally funded program utilizing a strong, community-based coalition, celebrated its 20th anniversary on May 25, 2011 at the Carnegie Museum hall of Oakland; and,
WHEREAS, since the implementation of the Healthy Start in 1991, the organization has grown from 15 original projects to 104, become one of the nation's leading health improvement organizations, and witnessed the infant mortality rate for all races reduced by almost 30%; and,
WHEREAS, Healthy Start's core principles include pioneering innovations in service delivery, fostering community commitment and involvement, encouraging demonstrations of personal responsibility to expectant parents, ensuring integration of health and social services, facilitating multi-agency participation, providing increased access to care, and leveraging public education; and,
WHEREAS, Healthy Start's work is designed to provide adequate prenatal care for all families, promote positive prenatal health behaviors, meet basic health needs of nutrition, housing and psychological support, reduce barriers to access of health care and education, and enable client empowerment that leads to self sufficiency; and,
WHEREAS, 9 out of 10 children born while their parent is receiving services from Healthy Start are born full term, at a normal weight and without any birth defects; and,
WHEREAS, since 1998, Healthy Start projects across the country have successfully increased the rate of a pregnant woman's participation in early prenatal care during her first trimester from 41.8% to over 70%, directly saving the lives of many vulnerable infants;
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare May 31, 2011 to be "Healthy Start Day" in the City of Pittsburgh.