Why we’re launching strong start
Navigating Changing Landscapes
It’s a challenging time for nonprofits. Not only did January wildfires shift funding priorities among philanthropists, but significant budget cuts eliminated key funding and programming opportunities, resulting in the loss of a $100k grant & the closure of programs that Paco had prepared to help facilitate.
At the same time, the needs of our community have changed. Increased presence of immigration officers and increased frequency of immigration raids brought fear and anxiety as families were separated and loved ones were deported, often through use of force and with limited communication. Political polarization and violence have become even more commonplace, economic precarity is spreading, and global humanitarian concerns have had a growing impact on daily life as we’ve become more connected via social media and more aware of the connection between domestic and international policy. In the midst of these significant shifts, our Paco team took a step back to recalibrate and ensure our strategy for launching programs and services was in alignment with immediate needs of the community.
As we began our research via surveys, interviews, focus groups, and analysis of recent data concerning the impacts of such diverse and widespread sociopolitical change, we quickly learned that the most pressing concern for women across L.A. is the imminent threat to Medicaid and SNAP and the disproportionate impact that the undermining of these social services will have on women and their families.
The Research
This summer, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law, establishing overwhelming cuts to federal health care spending. Most significantly, the bill calls for nearly $1 trillion worth of Medicaid cuts over the next decade.
According to the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, Medicaid currently pays for 42% of all births in the US, including 50% of births in rural communities and 60% of births to women of color. In order to reduce the maternal mortality rate in the US - which is the highest of any developed nation, making the US 55th in global rankings for maternal care - most states currently use Medicaid to provide postpartum services for one year after pregnancy. The OBBBA cuts to Medicaid not only put 5.7 million women at risk of losing critical healthcare services, but also threatens to reduce the length of postpartum care, providing just 90 days of post-pregnancy coverage. Because nearly 2/3 of maternal deaths in the US occur during postpartum, these changes are a matter of life and death, particularly for women of color and women navigating poverty.
These statistics are devastating, and they paint a clear picture of the impending health care crisis threatening the lives of women in our most marginalized communities. And while the reality is tough to face, it is imperative that we reckon with the cold facts so we can ensure any proposed solutions are strategically designed to center the voices of those most impacted and target the root of the problem. This is where there’s good news.
The Opportunity
Up to 84% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable through increased access to high-quality prenatal and postpartum care. Research shows that these services are significantly more accessible when expectant mothers are paired with a Doula. Doulas are credentialed, non-medical professionals who provide physical, emotional, and informational support for women and families throughout pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum.
According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, Doula care is associated with a range of positive outcomes that decrease the risk of pregnancy-related deaths, including:
increased likelihood of parents’ attending childbirth preparation classes
increased likelihood of initiating breastfeeding
decreased likelihood of c-section
decreased likelihood of developing postpartum depression, PTSD, and other anxiety-related challenges that increase stress and negatively impact both mother and infant
decreased likelihood of birth complications
The Potential for a National Blueprint
Given these myriad factors, Paco has made the decision to redirect our time & resources to prepare for the anticipated gaps in healthcare for those who will be most impacted by Medicaid cuts: new moms and their babies.
Our Strong Start program has been designed in collaboration with women who have lived experience in navigating harmful maternal care systems and who know what is needed to transform the fear and anxiety that often accompany pregnancy into an empowering welcome to motherhood and a safe, healthy start for newborns. By partnering with local maternal care providers and doula training programs, Strong Start will recruit, train, and certify women from the most impacted communities to serve as doulas for the mothers most at risk for pregnancy-related death, allowing us to simultaneously address maternal care gaps while creating jobs and generating income for women with lived experience.
Once certified, our doulas will partner with our Care Coordinators to provide 12 weeks of prenatal support and resources, assistance and advocacy during labor and delivery, and 12 weeks of in-home postpartum care. In addition to services that improve maternal and infant health such as childbirth preparation classes, creation of a birth plan, lactation support, and referrals for critical services like mental health, a key feature of the program is the intentional focus on community & relationships towards the expansion of supportive networks for women. To this end, we partner with local community organizations to recruit, train, and support women with caregiving experience to serve as 1:1 mentors for new moms, an approach that ensures each Strong Start participant has a long-term support team consisting of a doula, Care Coordinator, mentor, and other new moms.
Learn More & Join the Work
Because of the community-driven approach and self-sustaining financial model of Strong Start, this program has the potential to serve as a national blueprint for strengthening maternal care and equity. When you donate to Strong Start, you make a tangible impact in the lives of women and children and help us demonstrate that no bill is more powerful than our community when we commit to caring for each other.
Learn more about the program by visiting our Strong Start page, and join the movement by becoming a Founding Sponsor. Every contribution builds momentum, any amount fuels the work, and each of us has a role to play in the fight for maternal equity.
