Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC)

Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) is a home visiting program for qualifying pregnant women and families with children from birth until school entry. To see if you’re eligible, please call the Health Unit at 519-663-5317.

NOTICE About Infectious Illnesses

Before staff from the Middlesex-London Health Unit visit your home, you will be asked if you are experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, etc. This will help us determine the next steps to support you.

Available in other languages

The Ontario Government’s Healthy Babies Healthy Children factsheet is available in other languages at www.ontario.ca (Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Punjabi, Spanish, Tamil, etc.).

About HBHC

• HBHC is a free and voluntary provincial program.
• HBHC is provided by a Public Health Nurse.
• To learn more about HBHC and other early childhood services, please visit the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

Who sees you about HBHC in the hospital?

London Health Sciences Centre
A Public Health Nurse from the Middlesex-London Health Unit will see all moms and new babies before you leave the hospital to:

• link you to community supports
• screen to see if you are eligible for the HBHC program

Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital
A Strathroy Hospital Registered Nurse or a Public Health Nurse from the Middlesex-London Health Unit will see all moms and new babies before you leave the hospital to:

• link you to community supports
• screen to see if you are eligible for the HBHC program

Who will come to your home?

Public Health Nurse
If you are eligible for the program, a Public Health Nurse can visit your home and will:

• Answer your questions about your pregnancy, caring for yourself and your baby
• Show you how to connect and play with your child
• Assess your child’s growth and development
• Provide information to help your child meet milestones
• Discuss common parenting concerns such as:
• Behavior and discipline
• Routines
• Child safety
• Refer you to other resources in your community

Questions and answers about the collection of your personal information

Q: Why does the Health Unit ask for your personal information?
A: Ontario’s public health units are required by law* to offer a voluntary program called Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) to eligible expectant mothers and families with children from birth until they are ready for school. Your personal information is needed to determine eligibility for this program.

Q: What information does the Health Unit collect?
A: You will be asked to provide your name, address, and contact information. You will also be asked questions about your pregnancy and the birth of your child, as well as parenting and family history. Answers are recorded on a form, which is sent to the health unit in the area where you live and entered by health unit staff into the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) Healthy Child Development - Integrated Services for Children Information System (HCD-ISCIS) provincial database.

Q: How does the Health Unit use the information it collects?
A: The Middlesex-London Health Unit reviews your information to determine whether you are eligible for the HBHC program. Services provided through the program include a telephone call in the first few days after the birth of your baby and possibly a home visit by a Public Health Nurse.

If you have questions about the collection of your personal information or how the Health Unit keeps your information private, please call 519-663-5317 and ask to speak with a HBHC Manager from the Middlesex-London Health Unit.

* The collection of this information is required under Ontario’s Health Promotion and Protection Act and the Ontario Public Health Standards.