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Pre & Postnatal Services

Healthy Parents & Babies provides doula and home visiting Early Head Start services for pregnant people, young parents and children from birth through age 3 throughout the greater Chicagoland and suburbs.

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Learn more about Healthy Parents & Babies’ Early Head Start Program and Services.

About Our Program
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See if You Qualify

Review our eligibility guidelines to confirm you qualify for our program.

Check Your Eligibility
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To start the enrollment process, complete this initial eligibility form.

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Healthy Parents & Babies Program Details

Services to Pregnant People

Healthy Parents & Babies pairs pregnant people with doulas who provide information and support during pregnancy, birth and the first few weeks of life.

Our doulas help you:

  • Develop healthy prenatal routines, relaying advice on nutrition, health and wellness tips, resources and more.
  • Prepare for a successful pregnancy, labor and delivery by creating a birth plan, explaining what to expect when in labor and delivery, and sharing pain management options.
  • Establish strong bonds between you and your baby by providing breast/chest feeding support, bonding tips and resources.

Once your baby is born, you will have an option to enroll in our home visiting program*. If you enroll, an assigned home visitor will help your new family continue building a strong relationship, providing information and coaching based on your family’s goals and needs.

*Please note, if you reside in Lake County, you will be referred to an Early Head Start program or another local home visiting program in your area.

Home Visits With Families

Home visitors from the Healthy Parents & Babies program help your family build a foundation for success through one-on-one home visits centered around your child’s development and growth. This approach provides a nurturing environment for your child’s academic, social and emotional skills, preparing them for kindergarten and beyond.

Our home visitors:

  • Provide weekly 90-minute home visits, at home or in your area, with customized lesson plans for your family.
  • Offer educational activities that help establish learning habits and encourage your child’s brain development.
  • Help with developing and maintaining healthy eating routines for your family.
  • Ensure your family is connected to necessary health services.

Community Resources

In addition to doula and home visiting services, Healthy Parents & Babies offers the following supplemental supports to families:

  • Prenatal groups, parent meetings and trainings
  • Events to socialize and interact with other children and parents
  • Literacy events
  • Male involvement groups
  • Limited transportation assistance
  • Services for children with diagnosed or suspected disabilities

Healthy Parents & Babies is an inclusive environment that helps families understand the requirements for Early Intervention in the Chicago Public Schools and the Lake County service area.

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Program Eligibility

We serve the greater Chicagoland and suburban families prenatally through birth for our doula services and up to age 3 for our home visiting services. You must be pregnant to qualify for doula services but can be of any age and at any stage of pregnancy. You can qualify for home visiting services anytime after your baby is born until they turn 3 years old. Participation is not limited to first-time parents or new participants, but everyone must meet Early Head Start income eligibility guidelines.

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Healthy Parents & Babies Application Form

Thank you for your interest in enrolling in our Healthy Parents & Babies program, in Illinois.

We serve families prenatally through birth, and up to age 3 for their children. To get started in the enrollment process, please complete this initial application form and someone from our team will be in touch with you within 48 business hours. Once you submit your application, you will be redirected to a confirmation page with an “OK” button. Please click the “OK” button to continue to onto critical information about the enrollment process, contact details and documents you will need to collect to complete your enrollment process.

Note: Participation is not limited to first-time parents or new participants, but everyone must meet Early Head Start income eligibility guidelines in order to qualify.

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Start Early Programs

Learn more about our early learning programs in Illinois that support each aspect of your child’s development—starting before birth to age 5.

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To start the enrollment process, please complete this initial eligibility form.

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Resources for Families

Discover educational activities and resources from Start Early experts to provide easy and engaging education experiences with your child.

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