Maternal and Child Health
Improving the health and health care of women, gender-diverse people, and children
Women, gender-diverse people, and children all face unique challenges when attempting to access consistent and affordable health care across the United States. Families USA aims to address these challenges through our maternal and child health work by focusing on improving health equity and value, building person–centered care, and increasing and expanding insurance coverage. In order to do so, Families USA works independently and with state and federal partners to influence policymakers, support community–based organizations and health care advocates, and move the needle on best practices for maternal and child health care.
How We Affect Change
Federal and State Advocacy
Children and families want a health care system that is built to protect and uplift them during times of immense change, such as the perinatal and early childhood periods. However, we know that within our existing health care infrastructure, there is significant room for improvement. Here are a few of our top priorities:
- Bolster the community–based workforce by passing legislation at the state and federal level that would create a sustainable payment structure for doulas, midwives and group prenatal care.
- Fight to ensure access to abortion care, emergency contraceptives and birth control as women and gender-diverse people face a post–Dobbs landscape.
- Invest in maternal health by supporting the passage of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus.
- Encourage states to expand Medicaid postpartum coverage to 12 months and ask Congress to make the permanent Medicaid postpartum option a mandatory coverage requirement for all states.
- Work with partners to create and implement a whole child health demonstration model in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program that is grounded in primary care and optimizes health across the life course.
To learn more about our full list of health equity priorities, which include maternal and child health, please click the button below.
Maternal Health Innovation Learning Collaborative
The Maternal Health Innovation Learning Collaborative (MILC) is a space for state health care advocates from across the country to share ideas and discuss new trends and best practices within maternal health care policy. The collaborative aims to foster policy change by identifying best practices and providing multilateral support for health care advocates as they build and expand their state policy strategy plans. The maternal health policy space covers an array of issues yet zones in on real community–level impact.
To learn more about or express interest in our Maternal Health Learning Collaborative, please reach out via email: Healthequityteam@familiesusa.org
