Support Groups

A “boarder baby” is defined as any pediatric patient who remains hospitalized without medical problems to justify the prolonged stay. The children are often “hard-to-place” and have been labeled as “born-to-lose” and “children in limbo.” US Department of Health and Human Services reports 10,000 “boarder babies” are deserted in 851 hospitals nationwide.

The Howard University Hospital Boarder Babies Program was established in 1989, to provide support services for children in unstable home environments, out of home placements, or kinship care placements.

Communiversity was established in 1998, as a Boarder Babies Prevention Project, to improve the lives of the children in our community by teaching them to set personal objectives that allow them to work independently or collectively, organizational skill building, encouragement of high self-esteem and education, bridging international and cultural gaps, and strengthening bonds that make the community active. Communiversity also aims to boost the morale of the community while improving safety.

Howard University Hospital Comprehensive Areas of Resources, Entitlements and Services (HUH CARES) provides a coordinated, community-wide approach to planning and delivering health services for HIV affected women, men, adolescents, children and their families. The project provides free outpatient medical, dental, mental health, nutrition and social services for HIV positive uninsured and underinsured residents living in the District of Columbia. All CARES services are provided at no cost to the client.

The National Breastfeeding Support Center at Howard University Hospital is co-located with our WIC Family Center (see above) and provides access to breastfeeding support and education for women in the District of Columbia. Breastfeeding families can be referred from other providers across the city for help with breastfeeding challenges.

B.L.E.S.S. stands for Breastfeeding, Lactation, Education and Support Services. B.L.E.S.S. provides childbirth education and ensures that the standard childbirth education curriculum include information about breastfeeding support and nutrition education at each session.

Beautiful Beginnings Club

During our Childbirth Education Classes expecting mothers learn what to expect during labor and how to give their baby the best start through breastfeeding.

Our meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month at 1:00 p.m. in Room 3-J-14 at Howard University Hospital. Please call for appointment.  

Hospital-based Child Find services have been provided since 1993, for infants and toddlers born at or accessing services of Howard University Hospital. HUH Child Find identified hundreds of Part C eligible infants and toddlers, and provides continued case management support for children of HIV positive and/or substance abusing mothers.

The purpose of the HUH Hospital-based Child Find early intervention program services is to ensure that infants and toddlers are identified, evaluated and receive necessary early intervention services. The Project ROSE staff has considerable experience in working with homeless and substance abusing parents.

The WIC Family Center at Howard University Hospital helps pregnant women and children less than 5 years of age to have appropriate nutrition. Families who are currently enrolled in D.C. Health Families Medicaid, T.A.N.F., and the Food Stamp Program are financially eligible for the WIC program. The Center has a satellite location at The Chartered Family Health Center.