National Public Health Week: Highlighting Postpartum Support

National Public Health Week Highlights Postpartum Support as a Critical Public Health Strategy 

As communities nationwide observe National Public Health Week, April 6–12, Family Connects is elevating the postpartum period as one of the most important—and overlooked—windows for public health intervention. 

National Public Health Week is led annually by the American Public Health Association (APHA) to recognize the role of public health in protecting and improving the health of people and communities. This year’s theme, “Ready, Set, Action!”, calls on individuals and organizations to move beyond awareness and take meaningful steps toward building healthier communities. 

For families with newborns, the weeks following birth represent a critical intersection of maternal health, infant health, mental health, safety, and social determinants of health—all core public health concerns. 

“Public health is about prevention, not reaction,” said Jade Woodard, Executive Director of Family Connects. “When we support families early—before challenges escalate—we improve outcomes not just for individual families, but for entire communities.” 

For Family Connects, “Ready, Set, Action!” reflects the power of showing up early delivering proactive, evidence-based support to families during the postpartum period, when it can make the greatest difference. 

Research shows that the Postpartum Period represents a Public Health inflection point included but not limited to: 

• Increased risk of maternal mental health conditions 

• Higher rates of emergency medical care use 

• Elevated vulnerability for infants, particularly in the first year of life 

• Disparities driven by race, income, and access to care 

Unfortunately, postpartum care in the United States is often fragmented, inconsistent, or limited to a single clinical visit—leaving many families without the support they need during a high-risk transition. 

And yet, the Family Connects Model advances Public Health through: 

• Registered nurse assessments of maternal and infant health, mental health, safety, and social needs during the postpartum period 

• Early screening to identify risks before they become emergencies or crises 

• Connecting families directly to primary care, behavioral health, early childhood services, and community supports 

• Providing Universal access reduces stigma and disparities, ensuring families are supported regardless of income or background 

• And demonstrating reduced emergency medical use and child welfare involvement, strengthening outcomes while lowering system costs 

“This is what effective public health looks like,” said Alain Glen, Chief Nursing Officer at Family Connects. “It’s proactive, relational, and grounded in evidence.” 

National Public Health Week—and the call to “Ready, Set, Action!” —is a reminder that improving health requires more than awareness; it requires timely action not only in hospitals and clinics, but in homes, neighborhoods, and communities. 

Supporting families during the postpartum period strengthens long-term child development and school readiness, parental mental health and economic stability, community health equity, and system efficiency by preventing costly downstream interventions. 

This National Public Health Week, Family Connects calls on public health leaders, policymakers, health systems, and funders to recognize postpartum support as an essential public health investment—and to scale preventive, family-centered models that improve outcomes at the population level. 

Postpartum challenges are not an individual or even family issue; they are a public health issue. 

• Category: FCI News, Press Clips