Inventory of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) for Healthy Start Programs

Evidence-based practices include actions, activities, strategies, or approaches that improve the health of women, before, during, and after pregnancy in order to improve birth outcomes and give infants up to age two years a healthy start. Also included in the collection are informational materials and tools that make it easier to implement evidence-based practices. To search by title, use the main search box located at the top of this page.


Learn the Signs, Act Early

: Learn the Signs, Act Early aims to improve early identification of children with autism and other developmental disabilities so children and families can get needed services and support. The program has three components: a health education campaign, the Act Early initiative, and research and evaluation. The campaign promotes awareness of healthy developmental milestones during childhood, and the importance of tracking each child’s development and acting early if there are concerns. The Act Early Initiative works with state, territorial and national partners to improve early childhood screening and referral systems. The program website includes many free materials for providers, health centers and parents, videos and other multimedia tools and training programs for providers.

Topics:

Parenting Education Socio-emotional Development for Children

Approaches:

Strengthen Family Resilience

Benchmarks:

Reading to Child Daily

Evidence Rating: III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.

Healthy Child Care America Back to Sleep Campaign

Aims to promote the health and safety of infants in childcare settings by providing education and outreach to child care providers regarding safe sleep recommendations. Offers a free, 1 hour online course designed to educate everyone who cares for babies on creating a safe sleep environment to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep related deaths. Includes promotional materials and brochures, and a presentation that can be used by health care professionals or anyone presenting on SIDS in childcare settings.

Topics:

Safe Sleep

Approaches:

Promote Quality

Benchmarks:

Safe Sleep

Evidence Rating: III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.

Safe to Sleep® Public Education Campaign

The Safe to Sleep® campaign, formerly known as the Back to Sleep Campaign, offers a variety of materials to help share safe infant sleep messages with different audiences. Many of these items are available for download and order.

Topics:

Safe Sleep

Approaches:

Promote Quality

Benchmarks:

Safe Sleep

Evidence Rating: III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.

Fathers Supporting Breastfeeding

The Fathers Supporting Breastfeeding program was created by the USDA and uses a video, poster, and brochures to reach African American fathers, so that they may positively influence their partners’ decision to breastfeed. The campaign is part of national efforts to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates among African American women. Project materials can also be used with men in other racial and ethnic groups.

Topics:

Breastfeeding

Approaches:

Promote Quality Strengthen Family Resilience

Benchmarks:

Father/Partner Parenting Involvement Initiating Breastfeeding Sustaining Breastfeeding

Evidence Rating: III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.