Episode Details

Diapers sound small until you learn the truth: families can’t buy them with SNAP or WIC, daycares often require them, and running out can spiral into stress, missed work, and avoidable doctor visits. We sit down with Amanda Brunson, Associate Executive Director of Healthy Start Southwest Florida, to explain how one nonprofit is closing that gap and strengthening maternal and infant health across Lee, Collier, Hendry, and Glades counties.

Amanda shares her personal why, including her own experience with a premature birth, limited family support nearby, and the challenges that follow a NICU stay. That story connects directly to the heart of Healthy Start’s work: home visiting programs that show up consistently, build trust, and help parents navigate pregnancy, newborn care, and early childhood with practical guidance and real resources.

We dig into what Healthy Start actually does day to day, from the Connect coordinated intake and referral system that matches families to the right services, to multiple home visiting options like Nurse-Family Partnership with registered nurse visitors, and Team Dad, a program built specifically for fathers. You’ll also hear about Help Me Grow developmental screenings and the fetal and infant mortality review work that looks for community-level improvements in birth outcomes. Along the way, Amanda breaks down how their diaper bank scales impact through partner pickup sites and National Diaper Bank purchasing power, and why monetary donations can stretch farther than most people expect.

If you want pregnancy support, parenting resources, or a way to help families thrive in Southwest Florida, this one offers clear next steps. Subscribe, share with a friend who cares about maternal and infant health, and leave a review to help more neighbors find these resources.

Healthy Start Southwest Florida
Amanda Brunson
(239) 425-6920
Customer Service: (800) 883-1959

Fort Myers Office:
1921 Jefferson Avenue Fort Myers, FL 33901
healthystartbaby.org

State Insurance USA
4450 Camino Real Way
Ft Myers, FL 33966
239-567-9992
office@StateInsuranceUSA.com
stateinsuranceusa.com
https://www.facebook.com/Stateinsuranceusa
#StateInsuranceUSA
#SupportLocal
#WeLoveOurClients
@Stateinsuranceusa

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