Best Starts partners with communities impacted by inequities to improve the spaces in which children, youth and families live, learn, work, and play and support sustainable, healthy behaviors and long-term positive outcomes. Through close community partnerships, organizations funded and partnering with the HSE strategy support youth as they transform systems, environments, and policies to decrease and prevent continued inequity in their communities. Our focus areas include increasing access to healthy and affordable foods, engaging community in physical activity, reducing exposure to unhealthy products and dangerous substances, and creating safe and health promoting environments. HSE includes and addresses recommendations from the National Academy of Medicine, including:
- Increase community and neighborhood empowerment.
- Establish strategic partnerships.
- Identify community leaders and build on existing resources.
- Gather and use relevant data.
- Evaluate and learn from past work.
- Share successful strategies with other communities.
This strategy invests in:
Sustaining the Gain (ages 5 – 24)
so that young people have equitable opportunities to be safe, healthy, and thriving.
Estimated reach:
20,000 to 70,000 people
Funding Estimate (2022-2027):
$6,340,000
