The bi-state area of greater Kansas City has a high rate of poor birth and infant outcomes, especially among the African American community, which makes up a large percentage of the population served by Kansas City Healthy Start (KCHS).

In addition, poverty, child abuse and neglect, low income, unemployment, educational attainment, sexually transmitted diseases and language barriers are all areas of concern.

 

Click for video

Click above for video about MCHC and Kansas City Healthy Start

As a program of Mother & Child Health Coalition, Kansas City Healthy Start (KCHS) is designed to decrease the infant mortality rate, eliminate healthcare disparities and improve the health of pregnant women, infants and families.

KCHS provides the core services of outreach and participant recruitment, case management, health education, screening for perinatal depression, interconceptional continuity of care and fathering issues.

  • Free monthly childbirth classes to pregnant participants and their families. (This class is open to ALL metro KC families.)
  • List of locations to obtain a PREGNANCY TEST (Those marked with an * are FREE.)
  • Mother & Baby Health Special
    TEN TIPS FOR A HEALTHY PREGNANCY
    a collaboration between MCHC and Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas City.
  • Providing additional training and education for new and expectant mothers, as well as professional providers in areas such as nutrition, parenting, family planning and smoking cessation.
  • Pinpointing gaps in existing prenatal and child health services and identifying barriers preventing infants and expectant mothers from receiving proper care.
  • Coordinating and linking existing prenatal and child health programs allowing for improved case management.

To be eligible for Kansas City Healthy Start, you must be pregnant or raising an infant under the age of two and reside in one of the following ZIP-code areas:

Missouri: 64106, 64108, 64109, 64110, 64124, 64127, 64128, 64130.
Kansas: 66101, 66102, 66103, 66104, 66105 or 66106.

Contact

Jean Craig
Kansas City Healthy Start Project Director
816-283-6242 (Extension 225)
jcraig@mchc.net

Pat Martin
Clinical Nurse Family Advocate
816-283-6242 (Extension 252)
pmartin@mchc.net

Frieda Tresvan
Director of Education and Health Promotion
816-283-6242 (Extension 251)
ftresvan@mchc.net

LINKS:

Diapers for KC Familes in Need

Kansas Blue Ribbon Panel on Infant Mortality

Missouri Workshop Calendar

National Office on Women's Health

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families

 

 


Click here for a KC Healthy Start brochure.

MISSOURI

Children's Mercy Hospitals & Clinics
Kansas City Healthy Start
3101 Broadway, Ste. 575
Kansas City, MO 64111-2762

- English-speaking team: (816) 234-3363
- Spanish-speaking team: (816) 983-6482

Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill
Kansas City Healthy Start
2301 Holmes, Social Work Dept.
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 404-3215

KANSAS

Project EAGLE
Kansas City Healthy Start
400 State Ave. #400
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 281-2648