INGHAM COUNTY - The Ingham County Health Department is expanding the Strong Start, Healthy Start program meant to help at risk families.

The expansion is funded by the renewal of a $3.5 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is funded through 2019 and is estimated to serve up to 500 participants annually.

Linda Vale, Health Officer at the Ingham Health Department says the grant and program will mostly affect Lansing residents as they fit the main demographic served by Strong Start, Healthy Start.

"Well typically its women who are most at risk of an adverse birth outcome. Low birth weight baby or infant death, they tend to be African American women in poverty to qualify for the program, there's definitely some qualifications," she said.

Some of the services provided include home visits for expectant mothers and babies as well as education programs for health and resources. Eligible mothers are aided in combating problems such as lack of housing or transportation as well as other issues by Public Health Nurses such as Rose Snyder.

Snyder said, "We always make sure that woman have access to good pre-natal care as well as to care for their infants."

While Strong Start, Healthy Start focuses on low income mothers in the Lansing Area, the program is available to help eligible women all over Ingham County.

About 13 percent of Meridian Township lives below poverty level which is about 40,000 people. Some of which could benefit from these services.

Another local initiative set in place to help low income residents in the township is the Emergency Needs Fun which is currently experiencing some funding problems.

Darla Jackson, Human Services Specialist in Meridian Township said, "I think it was somewhere around 47 house holds in the last 5 months alone that were helped with utilities, and that is much much higher than normal. So yes the emergency needs fund is low."

Both programs are available to residents who meet certain criteria and reach out to or are refereed to these services.