Region: United States

Birth & Lactation Support for a Healthy First 1,000 Days

Women need adequate support to have a healthy first 1,000 days. This brief explains the critical roles that birth doulas and lactation consultants play in improving outcomes and reducing racial and ethnic disparities during birth and the postpartum period.

SNAP Matters During the First 1,000 Days

The 1,000 days between a woman’s pregnancy and her child’s 2nd birthday offers a unique window of opportunity to build healthier and more prosperous futures. This is when a child’s brain begins to grow and develop and the foundations for their lifelong health are built. Access to healthy, affordable food is critical to support the health and well-being of women and children during the first 1,000 days and beyond.

Evidence-based, proven programs that reach low-income families with nutrition assistance are a critical investment in the health and well-being of moms and babies. One such program is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Workers in Texas Deserve Paid Leave

We conducted multiple, in-depth interviews with four low-income women in Texas throughout their pregnancy and postpartum period. Each of these women, who vary in age, race, marital status, educational attainment and occupation, have one key thing in common: they do not have access to paid family and medical leave.

Learn more about what makes paid leave a public health imperative.

Workers in Pennsylvania Deserve Paid Leave

We conducted multiple, in-depth interviews with four low-income women in Pennsylvania throughout their pregnancy and postpartum period. Each of these women, who vary in age, race, marital status, educational attainment and occupation, have one key thing in common: they do not have access to paid family and medical leave.

Learn more about what makes paid leave a public health imperative.

Workers in Kansas Deserve Paid Leave

We conducted multiple, in-depth interviews with four low-income women in Kansas throughout their pregnancy and postpartum period. Each of these women, who vary in age, race, marital status, educational attainment and occupation, have one key thing in common: they do not have access to paid family and medical leave.

Learn more about what makes paid leave a public health imperative.

Workers in Georgia Deserve Paid Leave

We conducted multiple, in-depth interviews with four low-income women in Georgia throughout their pregnancy and postpartum period. Each of these women, who vary in age, race, marital status, educational attainment and occupation, have one key thing in common: they do not have access to paid family and medical leave.

Learn more about what makes paid leave a public health imperative.

Qualitative Paid Leave Report: Furthering Our Case for Paid Leave in the United States

Our latest report, Qualitative Paid Leave Report: Furthering Our Case for Paid Leave in the United States, is based on a study we commissioned to examine how lack of paid leave affects the well-being of new mothers and their babies, particularly women working in low-wage jobs, and to amplify the experiences of low-wage working mothers in their own words. By interviewing and surveying 20 women in five states that did not require workers to have access to paid leave, we learned about how mothers navigate the experiences, demands and joys of motherhood.

For more about the report, our work with paid leave and how you can help, visit here.

Health Insurance is Important for Young Children

Infancy and early childhood are a time of tremendous development for children, and when the foundations for a lifetime of good health are set. During this time, young children interact with health care providers on a regular basis for preventive care, regular checkups and well-child visits as well as a range of other services—and comprehensive health insurance makes it possible.