Perinatal Support

Healthy Beginnings is a pre-and postnatal nutrition, health and social support program serving low-income women and their families in Toronto 's Davenport West community.

Hours: Wednesday 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Who can come?

Pregnant women who live in our service area.

Activities:

• Talk about pregnancy and parenting with other women

• Visit with a Public Health Nurse

• Receive a food hamper, food vouchers and a healthy snack

• Free daycare

• Workshops and information sessions

Healthy Beginnings was initially developed in 1989, when The Stop's food bank volunteers noticed that local pregnant women were falling through the gaps of the food bank system. At this time, The Stop created a partnership with Toronto Public to create Healthy Beginnings. Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood Centre joined this collaboration in 1994, and our many volunteers also help make our Healthy Beginnings team a strong and vital resource for women in our community. Participants enroll in the program during their prenatal period, and are welcome to attend every week, with a postnatal maximum of six visits within twelve weeks of giving birth. Currently, approximately 100 women are enrolled in the program, with an average of 60 attending each week.

This program provides a unique combination of unstructured ‘drop-in' space with a schedule of programmed activities and information sessions. The safe and welcoming environment enables participants to develop social support networks, while workshops and structured activities support their knowledge and skill development. Workshops cover a range of topics, such as prenatal nutrition, sexual health, baby safety, labour and delivery and attachment and bonding. A staff team of trained professionals provides one-on-one support around breastfeeding, nutrition, domestic violence, homelessness and resettlement. Women also receive a hamper of nutritious groceries as well as a $10 food voucher and two tickets for local transit. Childcare is available for the mother's other children.

We are extremely pleased to report that the latest census data shows that the number of low-birth-weight babies in the neighbourhood has declined -- a clear indicator that Healthy Beginnings is having a positive impact.

Our Family Support Program allows us to provide intensive one-on-one postnatal support to the most vulnerable mothers in the Healthy Beginnings program.

The Family Support Program (FSP) provides intensive one-on-one peer support to vulnerable mothers and their newborns. These high-risk families are identified as needing increased support in our perinatal program and upon graduation from it are matched with a Family Support Worker (FSW). The FSW is trained and supervised to provide weekly parenting support, education on nutrition and healthy eating and advocacy on a range of social issues. Families are matched with FSWs for six months and six families are enrolled in the program at any one time (12 families per year).

Through home-visits, community outings and financial assistance, the FSP aims to build upon the strengths and capacities of women in the community, many of whom are marginalized by lack of opportunity, social isolation and/or an abusive relationship. By supporting these mothers, the program helps to ensure that the early childhood needs of their newborns and older children are met.

The overall goal of the FSP is to foster confident, informed mothers as a means to ensuring the healthy development of their infants.

"My baby and I made many friends and support for the future. I learned about caring for my baby and what to expect from being a mother. I wish the program was longer!"

"I met people who speak my language and made friends with them, and they can help me after my baby is born."