Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program

Overview

The Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) program is a free and voluntary public health initiative available across Ontario. It supports families from pregnancy until a child starts school, helping ensure every child has a healthy start in life. Services include screening, home visits, and referrals to community supports tailored to each family's needs

Why This Matters

The early years — from birth to age six — are a critical time for a child’s development. Early identification of needs and timely support can significantly improve long-term health outcomes. HBHC helps families navigate this important period by connecting them with resources that promote healthy growth, development, and parenting.

Mom smiling as she watches her toddler daughter take some steps

BORN's Role

BORN Ontario plays a vital role in enabling the HBHC program by:

Collaborating with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) who funds and oversees the HBHC program, sets service protocols, and ensures the program is delivered in a way that promotes equity, cultural safety, and accountability.
Facilitating secure and timely sharing of maternal-child screening data between hospitals and public health units.
Supporting public health nurses with access to accurate data to reach families quickly.
Conducting annual privacy audits with Public Health Ontario and Public Health Units (PHUs) to ensure responsible data stewardship.
Partnering with Electronic Health Record vendors like Cerner and EPIC to automate clinical data feeds and expand integration.

Impact and Benefits

For Patients

Early Identification of Needs: Universal screening helps identify potential risks to child development shortly after birth.
Timely Support: Families are contacted within 48 hours of hospital discharge and may receive home visits, breastfeeding support, nutrition advice, and parenting resources.
Culturally Safe Services: Programs are designed to be inclusive, with interpretation services and multilingual staff available.
Voluntary and Consent-Based: Participation is optional and based on informed consent, empowering families to choose the support they need.

For Providers

Streamlined Data Access: Public health nurses receive timely, secure access to maternal-child screening data via the eHBHC system.
Improved Coordination: Electronic integration reduces administrative burden and enhances communication between hospitals and public health units.
Support for Clinical Decision-Making: Accurate data helps providers assess risk and tailor interventions to individual family needs.

For Healthcare

Efficient Data Flow: Transition from manual to electronic systems improves speed, accuracy, and reliability of data sharing.
Enhanced Surveillance: Aggregated data supports population health assessment and informs public health planning.
Privacy and Accountability: Annual audits ensure compliance with data-sharing agreements and uphold privacy standards.
System Integration: Partnerships with EHR vendors like Cerner and EPIC embed HBHC data into broader clinical systems, supporting digital health transformation.

Eligibility and Access

Public Health Units access HBHC data through the BORN Information System:

Signed Agreements: PHUs must have a data-sharing agreement with BORN Ontario to access HBHC data.
Secure Login: Authorized staff use the BORN Information System to securely view and manage screening data.
Annual Audits: BORN conducts yearly privacy audits with PHUs to ensure proper access and data stewardship.

For Families, participation in HBHC is voluntary, consent-based, available province-wide, regardless of OHIP status.

Access to services:

Public health nurses contact eligible families—usually within 48 hours of birth—to offer services and support.
Families can also reach out directly to their local public health unit to inquire about HBHC services or request support.

Feature Story

Mel and Jane each have a baby. Each presents as healthy and coping well, but have been impacted by different risk factors, which can lead to poor outcomes.

Read A Tale of Two Families

An accessible version is also available.

Publications

Did You Know...

The electronic HBHC Screening Tool (eHBHC) was rolled out province-wide between 2017 and 2019, replacing manual fax-based systems. Benefits of the eHBHC include:

Speed: Data is transmitted instantly and securely, allowing public health units to follow up with families much faster—often within 48 hours of hospital discharge.
Accuracy: Electronic transmission reduces errors caused by manual entry or illegible faxes.
Security: eHBHC uses encrypted digital channels, ensuring sensitive health information is protected and compliant with privacy regulations.
Efficiency: Automates data flow between hospitals and public health units, eliminating the need for printing, faxing, and manual sorting.
Integration: Supports broader clinical data integration with Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems like Cerner and EPIC, streamlining workflows across the health system.

Stay Informed

Families: contact your local public health unit for information on postpartum support services.

Public Health Units, Midwives & Hospitals: Contact us at HBHC@bornontario.ca for questions about the program or data integration.