Women’s History Month: Advancing Maternal Health

marketing intern on March 2, 2026

Women’s History Month Honors the Power of Prevention in Advancing Maternal Health and Well-Being 

As the nation celebrates Women’s History Month, Family Connects International (FCI) is recognizing the critical role maternal health plays in advancing women’s well-being—and the importance of preventive, equitable systems of care that support women during one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives. 

For generations, women—particularly mothers—have carried the physical, emotional, and economic weight of caregiving, often without adequate support. Today, maternal mental health conditions such as postpartum depression and anxiety remain among the most common complications of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting women across all backgrounds and communities. 

Yet too often, postpartum care is fragmented, delayed, or inaccessible—leaving many women to navigate recovery and early motherhood alone. 

“Women’s health does not stop at delivery,” said Jade Woodard, Executive Director of Family Connects International. “Supporting mothers in the weeks and months after birth is essential—not only to their health, but to the health of families and communities. Prevention is one of the most powerful tools we have.” 

With the right support at the right time, we can support:  

  • Physical recovery after birth 
  • Emotional well-being and identity during the transition to motherhood 
  • Access to care and long-term health outcomes 
  • Family stability and infant development 

Despite their prevalence, many maternal mental health concerns go undetected or untreated—particularly among women facing structural barriers such as limited access to care, racial inequities, insurance gaps, or social isolation. 

Women’s History Month offers an opportunity to not only honor progress, but to address the gaps that remain. 

How the Family Connects Model Supports Women 

  • Registered nurses conduct postpartum visits, assessing maternal physical health, mental health, and social needs. 
  • Early screening and education help identify concerns before they escalate into crises. 
  • Care coordination connects women directly to primary care, behavioral health services, and community supports. 
  • Universal access promotes equity, ensuring women are not excluded from care due to income, race, or insurance status. 
  • Research demonstrates improved outcomes, including better maternal mental health, reduced emergency medical use, and stronger connections to preventive care. 

“When women receive early, trusted support, outcomes improve across the board,” said Kim Friedman JD, Chief Program Officer at FCI. “The Family Connects model shows what’s possible when systems are designed to support women—not just during pregnancy, but beyond it.” 

Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate leadership, resilience, and progress—but also to recommit to building systems that truly support women’s health and well-being. 

Family Connects International calls on health systems, policymakers, funders, and community partners to invest in preventive postpartum care models that centers maternal mental health, reduce disparities, and strengthen families from the very beginning. 

“Supporting mothers is one of the most effective ways to support women,” said Jade Woodard. “When women thrive, families thrive—and communities are stronger for it.” 

For more information, visit familyconnects.org. 

Black History Month Addressing Maternal Health

Jodi Wahba on February 10, 2026

Black History Month Highlights the Urgent Need to Address Black Maternal Mental Health—Through Prevention, Equity, and Universal Support 

As the nation observes Black History Month, Family Connects International (FCI) is uplifting the critical need to address Black maternal mental health—an area where long-standing inequities continue to place Black mothers at greater risk, despite resilience, strength, and deep community knowledge. 

According to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, Black mothers experience significantly higher rates of maternal mental health conditions, including postpartum depression and anxiety, yet are less likely to receive timely diagnosis, treatment, or follow-up care. Structural barriers—such as implicit bias in healthcare, lack of culturally responsive services, limited access to postpartum support, and fragmented systems of care—continue to drive inequitable outcomes. 

Maternal mental health conditions are among the most common complications of pregnancy and childbirth, and when left unaddressed, they can affect not only mothers, but infant health, family stability, and long-term child development. 

“Black maternal mental health outcomes are not the result of individual failure—they are the result of systems that too often fail Black mothers,” said Jade Woodard, Executive Director of Family Connects International. “Equity requires intentional, preventive solutions that meet families early, universally, and with trust.” 

And the Data tell us that: 

  • Black women experience higher rates of postpartum mood and anxiety disorders than white women. 
  • Black mothers are less likely to be screened, referred, or treated for maternal mental health concerns. 
  • Untreated maternal mental health conditions contribute to higher rates of maternal morbidity, increased emergency care use, and negative impacts on infant and child outcomes. 

These inequities persist even when controlling for income and education—underscoring the need for system-level, equity-driven solutions. 
 

How the Family Connects Model Advances Equity 

  • Universal Reach: Every family is offered support, ensuring Black mothers are not excluded due to eligibility rules or referral gaps. 
  • Early Screening & Relational Health: Registered nurses assess maternal mental health, physical health, and social needs during the critical postpartum window. 
  • Direct Connection to Care: Nurses link mothers to culturally responsive mental health services, primary care, and community supports. 
  • Demonstrated Reduction in Disparities: Research shows the Family Connects model reduces racial disparities across multiple outcomes, including maternal mental health, emergency medical use, and connection to preventive care. 
  • Prevention-First Approach: Addressing needs early prevents escalation into crises that disproportionately impact Black families. 

“When support is universal and preventive, equity improves,” said Kim Friedman JD, Chief Program Officer at FCI. “The Family Connects model shows that disparities are not inevitable—they are reducible when systems are designed with intention.” 

Black History Month is both a time to honor Black leadership and resilience—and a call to address the inequities that continue to affect Black families today. 

Family Connects International calls on health systems, policymakers, funders, and community partners to invest in universal postpartum support models that center maternal mental health, dismantle structural barriers, and ensure Black mothers receive the care they deserve. 

“Supporting Black maternal mental health is not only a moral imperative—it is a public health necessity,” said Jade Woodard. “When Black mothers thrive, families and communities thrive.” 
 

Honoring the Life of Dr. Janell Green Smith

Jodi Wahba on January 8, 2026

Dr. Green Smith’s legacy underscores the urgent need to address the Black maternal health crisis in the United States

Family Connects International joins communities across the country in mourning the tragic loss of Dr. Janell Green Smith, a certified nurse midwife, Doctor of Nursing Practice and maternal health advocate, who died during childbirth earlier this month. Her passing has reignited a national conversation about the persistent and deadly inequities facing Black women during pregnancy and childbirth.

Dr. Green Smith dedicated her life’s work to protecting birthing people—particularly Black mothers—by advocating for respectful, evidence-based, and culturally responsive maternal care. Her death, while bringing her first child into the world, is both a profound personal tragedy and a devastating reminder that no amount of education, advocacy, or professional expertise shields Black women from systemic failures in maternal health care.

“This is an unimaginable loss,” said Jade Woodard, Executive of Family Connects International. “Dr. Janell Green Smith spent her life fighting for safer births and better systems of care. Honoring her legacy means doing more than mourning—it means dismantling systematic inequities.”

Black women in the United States disproportionately experience adverse pregnancy outcomes, including maternal mortality, compared to women of other racial and ethnic groups. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 50,000 women in the U.S. experience severe pregnancy complications each year, yet Black women are at least three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women.

The overall U.S. maternal mortality rate increased from 20.1 deaths per 100,000 births in 2019 to 23.8 in 2020—representing approximately 861 maternal deaths. For Black women, the maternal mortality rate is approximately 55.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, the highest of any racial group, representing an estimated 1,800 maternal deaths. This number has continued to rise in recent years.

Health experts note that more than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, underscoring the role of systemic gaps in care, failure to listen to patients, delayed responses to warning signs, and inequities in quality and access to maternal health services.

Family Connects International reaffirms its commitment to advancing maternal health through early, universal, nurse-led postpartum support, which has been shown to improve maternal outcomes, identify complications sooner, and reduce disparities across racial and socioeconomic groups.

Dr. Janell Green Smith will be remembered for her unwavering dedication to birthing justice, her compassion for families, and her tireless advocacy for safer, more equitable maternal care. Family Connects International calls on leaders at every level to turn grief into action and ensure that no more families suffer preventable loss.

To follow coverage of Dr. Janell Green Smith passing, visit: https://nurse.org/news/janell-green-smith-midwife-death-maternal-care/

Remembering Dr. Deb Daro

Jodi Wahba on August 28, 2025

FCI lost a major champion when Deborah Daro Tuggle died, of natural causes in her home in Morrison, Colorado, on August 18, 2025. Deb, as she was known to friends and colleagues, was an original member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Durham Family Initiative—what our founders, Drs. Ken Dodge, Robert Murphy, and Karen O’Donnell, first called the project that we now know as Family Connects International. She had already established her credentials in the child maltreatment prevention world as Director of Research for the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse. She was a nationally recognized scholar and advocate for child-abuse prevention policies and later, for early home-visiting models. Her insight and leadership contributed to the establishment of Healthy Families America, a fellow early childhood home visiting program.

Deb’s vision expanded to include universal mother-infant home visiting, the fundamental principle of FCI. She served on the FCI Board, and more recently was an active member of the Board’s Program Committee. Even as illness began to consume more of her time and energy, she participated in as many online Committee meetings as she could, and she made invaluable contributions to our cause as a member of the Search Committee which recommended that we hire our new CEO, Jade Woodard.

Untold thousands of mothers and infants have benefited from Deb’s work. Ironically, most will never have heard the name Deb Daro. But we have, and we are so grateful.

Jonathan Kotch, MD, MPH
FCI Board Chair