At this moment, Healthy Start is in jeopardy — but it is not defunded...yet. Congress has the power to correct course. Collective advocacy will be essential in the weeks ahead to defend the program’s legacy and future.

Current Status of the Healthy Start Initiative

(Updated July 2025)

Legislative Context

Healthy Start is a discretionary program within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and receives its annual funding through the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittees in the House and Senate.

On May 10, 2025, the President released his FY2026 Budget, which proposed eliminating all funding for Healthy Start, citing it as duplicative. This follows similar language in the leaked internal HHS reorganization plan and budget.

As Congress works toward marking up and finalizing the FY2026 appropriations bill, we urge members to reject efforts to eliminate Healthy Start and continue funding at no less than $145 million to sustain the existing 115 programs nationally.

About the Healthy Start Initiative

Launched in 1991, Healthy Start is a federally funded, community-driven program focused on improving birth outcomes and reducing disparities.

The United States has the highest infant mortality rate among high-income countries. Healthy Start serves 115 high-risk communities nationwide. All sites are located in areas with infant mortality rates at least 1.5 times higher than the national average. The program traditionally attracts bipartisan support and aligns closely with a pro-family agenda, emphasizing prevention, early intervention, and locally tailored solutions.

Healthy Start projects work to prevent infant deaths by:

• Increasing access to prenatal and postpartum care
• Screening and support for domestic violence and postpartum depression
• Distributing safe sleep and infant health resources
• Offering fatherhood support and parenting education
• Addressing systemic drivers of poor birth outcomes through community improvement projects

What's at Stake

The President's proposal to eliminate Healthy Start would dismantle a program that has supported more than 85,000 families annually in historically underserved areas, reduced health disparities through evidence-based interventions and culturally tailored care, and leveraged community partnerships to improve perinatal outcomes.

Healthy Start's integrated, whole-family model is not duplicative but complementary to other maternal-child health programs. It bridges clinical care, community services, and equity-centered strategies in ways that other block grants or Medicaid funding mechanisms do not.

Uniquely, Healthy Start reduces federal spending by preventing costly preterm births and infant deaths through early, targeted interventions in high-risk communities, lowering the need for expensive neonatal care, special education, and long-term disability support, which together cost the U.S. $12 billion annually.

What's Next

Collectively, we must urge Congress to continue to provide at least $145 million in funding for the Healthy Start Initiative in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget.