This volume describes the experiences of each of the 15 rural and urban Healthy Start initiatives. These projects were set up in areas that had infant mortality rates that were 1.5 to 2.5 times the national average. Project locations include major cities such as Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; and Oakland, California, and rural areas in South Carolina and the Plains states. The projects brought together families and community organizations to design and implement new procedures in an intensive effort to reduce the infant mortality rate in their communities by one-half within 5 years. In this report, representatives from each of the projects share the lessons they learned in planning and implementing the Healthy Start initiative to reduce infant mortality. While some speakers discuss unique aspects of their programs, many stress common themes. Recurrent themes in the reports include community involvement, consortia development, management and governance, program initiatives, provider issues, and sustainability. These themes are outlined in the executive summary at the beginning of the volume. (BAC)