UNCP Healthy Start CORPS is a grant funded program committed to reducing the infant mortality rate (IMR) in Robeson County. IMR is the rate at which a baby dies before his/her first birthday! UNCP Healthy Start partners with the Robeson County Health Department for services like; case management, health education, family planning and depression screening. The UNCP Healthy Start CORPS along with 104 other Healthy Start projects across the USA and Puerta Rico attended the National Healthy Start Association (NHSA) Annual Conference on March 10-14, 2012 in Washington, DC. NHSA promotes the development of community-based maternal and child health programs, particularly those addressing the issues of infant mortality, low birth weight and racial disparities in perinatal outcomes. Each year members of the NHSA convene to discuss issues, learn best  and evidenced-based practices to help assure optimal birth outcomes and continued financial support of the services Healthy Start delivers across the community in which we serve. This year's conference theme was "Our Blueprint for the Future:  Building Healthy Families".

The UNCP Healthy Start CORPS and Baby Love Plus Healthy Start Projects along with consumers and community advocates visited with Senator Kay Hagan during her Carolina Constituient Coffee on March 14, 2012 in the collaboration with the National Healthy Start Association Annual Conference. Senator Hagan was delighted with the information presented by Latonya Purdie, UNCP HSC consumer as she shared her story about the valuable benefits she received from the program including speech services for one of her four children and financial literacy offered via the Bridges Out of Poverty pilot program.

UNCP Healthy Start piloted the first Bridges Out of Poverty Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin'-By World Class with a 90 % graduation rate! The promotional video for this class is now available on YouTube and has received more than 60 views in the past couple of months. 

NEW DAD TAKES PRIDE IN HIS INVOLVEMENT DURING HOME VISITS WHILE FAMILY IS PRESENTED WITH SAFE SLEEP SACK FOR SIDS PREVENTION, WELCOME AMETHYST RAIN!