OUR LOCAL INITIATIVE
Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait (HBWW) ® is a project of the March of Dimes focused on decreasing the rate of preterm births in communities with a disproportionately high number of babies being born prior to 37 weeks of pregnancy.
The Broward Healthy Start Coalition received HBWW funding from the March of Dimes in 2020 to work within a Collective Impact framework to decrease the rates of preterm births in cities and zip codes in Broward County with elevated preterm birth rates. The project conducts a root cause analysis through the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data specific to prematurity and maternal health in the priority populations
Our efforts and strategies are developed and implemented with a racial equity lens by an advisory board comprised of key stakeholders in the community and a Project Navigator who leads the activities. With the knowledge that no two communities are exactly alike, the project strives to learn about the issues affecting individual communities through canvassing efforts and conversations with community members. Embracing what we learn from communities, we in turn use that information to educate those most impacted by adverse birth outcomes through public events while bringing awareness of preterm birth rates to community leaders, health care providers, and other key stakeholders.