Healthy Babies Project (HBP) connects high-risk, pregnant DC women and families to health care, social services, shelter, and educational opportunities. HBP has over 25 years of fighting DC’s nation-leading rates of teen pregnancy, infant mortality, and low birth weights disproportionately affecting families in low-income neighborhoods. According to Executive Director Regine Elie, HBP partnered with Fair Chance when they were in “a perfect storm for change.” During the partnership, Fair Chance helped create an action plan to maximize opportunities for a new shelter facility, board members, partnerships, and programs.

With Fair Chance’s help, a reconstituted Board was equipped with new systems and processes to improve effective governance. HBP realigned their financial systems to track expenses to income streams. The organization also added new programs educating clients to make smart choices regarding sexual behavior, relationships, and parenthood. And, through regular tracking of indicators, HBP now has data to demonstrate their effectiveness as a solution to reducing the number of low birth weight babies and infant mortalities. In 2016, no client lost a child, 3.8% of clients had low birthweight babies (better than the District rate of 10%), 1.8% of teen parents experienced an unplanned repeat pregnancy, and 93.6% of teen parents were enrolled in school or employed. Since the Fair Chance Partnership, HBP saw a 190% increase in youth served and a 70% increase in budget.

“Fair Chance let me know that it is ok to dream and have big ideas as long as with that goal there is a plan of action…or else all you have is a dream.” – Regine Elie, Executive Director, Healthy Babies Project, Inc.