Community Involvement

    Background

Florida's urban and rural communities are the foundations for our families. Our communities are collections of people connected by place, culture and experience. This connection of people brings the wealth of diversity that is special and important to our state.

Many aspects of our lives are linked to our communities, particularly the health and well-being of our families. This link between community and health has a particular importance for pregnant women and infants who are vulnerable to the web of biological, psychosocial, social and environmental events and circumstances that can have an impact on health.

Florida's maternal and child health providers, professionals and consumers recognize the importance of the relationship between the community and the health of our pregnant women and infants. We acknowledge that people who live in our Florida communities are both resources and experts in the interaction of community and health, because they bring personal knowledge of local conditions, resources and needs. It is this unique knowledge that is necessary for planning and conducting successful prevention, education or program services. We collectively rely on the involvement of our communities in all aspects of the maternal and child health service planning and provision to promote the best outcomes for our mothers, infants and families.

Our Community
Links and references to local, Florida and national resource information, health and population data/statistics, and websites

Community Forum
Collection of success stories, lessons learned, models of practice related to incorporating community and health for the MCH population

Community Library
Research, studies and references related to community and health