Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) is a home visiting program provided by Public Health Nurses and Family Home Visitors. HBHC Public Health Nurses are registered nurses who specialize in child health and development. Family Home Visitors (FHVs) are experienced parents who have received extra training to support families with young children. Our FHVs come from many different cultural groups and may be able to provide service in the client’s preferred language. Interpretation services are also available.
The program is free, voluntary and offered province wide. Clients do not require an OHIP card in order to receive service.
Clients who are referred to the HBHC program must provide consent for service.
If your patient lives outside the Toronto area and is interested in the HBHC program, please contact their Local Public Health Unit.
The Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) program provides services to families in the prenatal period and to families with children in their early years (birth up until a child’s third birthday). Children can enter the HBHC program up until their third birthday.
To be eligible for HBHC services the client must be:
The client must also meet one or more of the following criteria:
In order to meet the needs of Toronto’s diverse and vulnerable populations, Toronto Public Health provides two additional targeted services under the HBHC program.
Homeless At Risk Prenatal (HARP) is a community visiting program that strives to promote positive prenatal and birth outcomes in homeless, transient pregnant individuals with multiple and complex health and social needs such as addictions, mental health issues and child protection services involvement. This service is provided by Public Health Nurses.
Nurse-Family Partnership ® (NFP) is a free evidence based home visiting program for young people who are pregnant and preparing to parent for the first time. This service is provided by Public Health Nurses who will support the client throughout their pregnancy and until their child is two years old.
The NFP program improves the health, well-being and self-sufficiency of first-time parents and their children by:
Clients may be able to enrol in the program if they are: