Health Start

Health Start is an Arizona Department of Health Services maternal-and-child-health program that uses community health workers to support pregnant people, postpartum families and children in participating communities. Health Start workers provide education, advocacy, referrals and help navigating health and social services.

The first months after delivery can involve needs that sit between the doctor's office and daily life: finding a provider, keeping appointments, understanding infant care, connecting to food/housing resources or getting help before a problem becomes a crisis. A community health worker can help bridge those gaps.

Eligibility and availability depend on the Health Start site serving your area and the program's maternal/child target population. Not every Arizona mother has a local Health Start worker; local service areas matter.

Health Start can provide home/community visits, health education, care navigation, advocacy and referrals to medical, behavioral-health and social-support resources. The program's community health worker model is designed around trusted local relationships.

Timing and intensity depend on the local Health Start program and family needs. The source does not support one universal number of postpartum visits for every participant.

Health Start is a publicly supported maternal/child-health program. The source materials reviewed for this profile do not publish a mother-facing fee schedule, so confirm any local cost policy with the local program rather than assuming a universal 'free' rule.

Find the Health Start program serving your county/community and contact the local site, or ask a prenatal/postpartum provider, AHCCCS plan or Strong Families/community referral partner for a connection.

Local programs may ask for residence/service-area and pregnancy/child information needed to confirm program fit.

Health Start is delivered through local community sites and is not the same thing as Medicaid health coverage. Availability, staffing, language and exact service model can vary by site.

Health Start can help a mother navigate AHCCCS, WIC, behavioral health, prenatal/postpartum care and community resources. It supplements rather than replaces clinical care or Medicaid benefits.

Use ADHS Health Start information to identify local programs. Program address/service area, phone, language and referral details are local details to confirm with the site.

Community health workers are intended to be trusted, culturally responsive connectors within communities. Actual language availability varies by site rather than being guaranteed statewide.

Strong Families AZ, Family Resource Centers, AHCCCS care management, WIC and other community programs may use different eligibility rules. 'Not eligible' for Health Start should not end the search for local support.