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Congratulations to July Citron-Ramos, Parent Educator at MIECHV, who has been honored as the 2025 Florida MIECHV Home Visitor of the Year: Emerging Excellence! This prestigious award recognizes individuals who embody the spirit of home visiting—building trust, nurturing growth, and walking alongside families with care and commitment.

July Cintron-Ramos represents Kids Central, Inc. Parents as Teachers. The PAT Program is provided locally through Kids Central, Inc. and overseen by Healthy Start of North Central Florida Coalition.

WellFlorida’s annual publication North Central Florida County Health Profiles provides the health status of the 16 counties we serve as the region’s local health council — Alachua, Bradford, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Marion, Putnam, Sumter, Suwannee and Union. The County Health Profiles offer a snapshot of each county’s health data, and how the counties compare to each other, the region and the state. Learn more.

DCF Announces Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) in Response to Hurricane Helene and Milton

Department of Children and Families announced that Florida’s application for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) has been approved. D-SNAP provides food assistance for individuals and families impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton who are not receiving food assistance through the regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

D-SNAP will be implemented by the Department in phases and by county beginning Monday, October 28, 2024. Pre-registration is required by all applicants and can be […]

REGISTER NOW! 

A giant inflatable walk-through colon is the star of recent local health fairs, hospital exhibits and other events throughout North Central Florida. The Giant Inflatable Colon was purchased by North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC) and WellFlorida Council with funding from the Community Implementation Grant from University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. NCFCCC and WellFlorida’s Community Initiatives team walk participants through the colon and teach them about colorectal cancer and why screening is important. Below are upcoming health fairs in North Central Florida that feature […]

Ruth Vryhof of Kids Central Inc. has been awarded the Laura Pan Scholarship Award for her hard work and dedication in the field of maternal and child health.

The Laura Pan Scholarship Award is given to one outstanding Healthy Start worker each year who provides direct services to families and who:

Goes above and beyond to create a positive impact on improving the health of mothers and babies.
• Demonstrates passion and dedication to our clients.
• Exemplifies the vision and values of Healthy Start.

The award is […]

Florida Healthy Start administers the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) in 12 Florida counties as a result of a funding increase.

This year, The Florida Legislature approved funding to support the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program in nine additional counties. This increase expands the funding from three to twelve counties. The Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions (FAHSC) administers the NFP program through a contract with the Florida Department of Health (DOH) with direct services available at Healthy Start Coalitions in each of the 12 counties where the […]

A new and free program in North Central Florida helps fathers increase their awareness and knowledge about what it takes to be a good father. T.E.A.M. Dad, which stands for Teaching, Empowering, Advocating for and Mentoring men on their fatherhood journey is inviting fathers, grandfathers or role models involved with a child under the age of three or men with a pregnant partner to enroll.

The program provides a dedicated T.E.A.M. Dad support specialist, who is an experienced father and/or who has received extensive training in […]

Join WellFlorida Council, Lutheran Services Florida and the First Responder Project for the following upcoming events:
Building a Successful Behavioral Health Access Program for First Responder Readiness Townhall

You are invited to a townhall that summarizes our shared efforts to broaden behavioral health and wellness supports for first responders, and battle stigma and other barriers to care. Learn about new resources and share your expertise as we review LSF’s strategic plan for building a successful behavioral health access program (BHAP) for first responders in Northeast and North Central […]