By Tabitha Temple
The Documenting and Providing Services to Expectant Families webinar was held on April 28, 2022. It featured an overview of ACF-IM-HS-22-02 Documenting Services to Enrolled Pregnant Women and showcased Early Head Start grant recipients from across the country. As I listened to program representatives reflect on their services, a few points struck me:
- Programs prioritize and intentionally provide services to expectant families. One program discussed looking at their community data and realizing that a full-time prenatal coordinator was necessary to support birthing parents.
- Head Start programs are well-positioned to influence maternal health disparities through the provision of comprehensive services and community partnerships.
- Programs can help create and strengthen networks of support for families.
- Representatives on the Health Services Advisory Committee (HSAC) can help inform services to birthing persons. They can also become better informed about the needs of expectant families through their participation in the HSAC.
Black Maternal Health Week and the overarching topic of services to expectant families in April allowed us to continue the discussion of maternal and birth outcomes equity. Let’s help make birthing a time of joy for families!
Tabitha Temple is an Infant-Toddler Program Specialist at the Office of Head Start.