On Mother’s Day, Lander Unveiled Plan to Advance Maternal Health for Black and Brown New Yorkers
Lander will double the doula workforce to meet the massive unmet demand; expand Nurse Family Partnership’s reach by 1,000 families; launch the City’s first midwife-led birth centers
In NYC, Black women are 6x as likely to die of a pregnancy related cause than white women
Watch the video with Benita Miller; read the plan
NEW YORK, NY — On Mother’s Day, Brad Lander released a plan to advance maternal health for Black and Brown New Yorkers. Despite investments from previous administrations, Black women in New York City remain six times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related causes, while Latina women face more than double the risk. Over three-quarters of these deaths are preventable.
To address these serious health disparities, Lander will double the doula workforce to meet the massive unmet demand; he’ll expand the evidence-backed home visiting program “Nurse Family Partnership’s” reach by 1,000 families; and launch the City’s first midwife-led birth centers. Read Brad’s plan: Delivering Justice: Advancing Maternal Health for Black and Brown New Yorkers.
“New York must begin to address the reality that for generations, pregnancy and childbirth have been disproportionately dangerous for Black and Brown women and their children, who continue to die from preventable causes and biases in the health care system,” said Brad Lander. “As your next mayor, I will implement and expand access to the most effective strategies and interventions to address racial and ethnic inequities in maternal health and mortality.”
Lander’s plan includes:
Expand the evidence-based NYC Nurse Family Partnership, a nurse-led home visiting program for low-income first time mothers that is currently funded to serve approximately 3,800 families, to serve an additional 1,000 families.
Evaluate and expand pilot guaranteed basic income program championed by Speaker Adrianne Adams — building off groundbreaking legislation spearheaded by Council Member Crystal Hudson — to support low income New Yorkers during pregnancy and the first 18 months for their child's life.
Establish a postpartum home visit program in every borough to provide all new mothers and their children in high-need communities with short-term follow-up visits and then a deliberate transition to stable, quality primary care.
Establish “birthing-friendly” hospital standards to pilot, define, and enforce birthing standards, including hospital-midwife collaboration and accountability.
Establish citywide anti-bias training for maternity providers, coordinated with both public and private hospitals.
Create a diverse midwife pipeline, including financial aid, credentialing for foreign-trained midwives, new CUNY programs, and re-launch of H+H tuition programs.
Permanent housing support for pregnant women in shelter: Dedicated case management to transition pregnant individuals into stable housing before birth.
New focus on fathers and family healing: Prenatal education, grief services, and co-parenting programs for fathers and caregivers.
Lander’s plan will result in fewer preventable deaths among Black and Brown mothers and infants, widespread access to midwife-led care and birthing centers that offer safer, more personalized, and culturally responsive support, and improved hospital accountability, with clear “birthing-friendly” standards, city oversight, and hospital-midwife collaboration across all boroughs.
Deborah Kaplan, former Assistant Commissioner at the NYC Health Department's Bureau of Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health, said: “I believe that truly addressing the unacceptable racial inequities in maternal health requires a Mayor who will make this issue a priority, commit the necessary resources to make a difference, and join forces with those already engaged in this work. Brad’s attention to this issue and his ideas for addressing the challenges stand out in the field of candidates running for mayor. We are not hearing from other candidates about the outrageous disparity in maternal health outcomes for Black and white women. His multifaceted plan and enthusiasm about working with community based activists and organizations recognizes the complexity of the challenges and proposes thoughtful and feasible interventions.”
Benita Raquiba Miller, reproductive rights and justice advocate, said: “Brad’s comprehensive plan articulates an expansive vision that is laser focused on improving Black maternal health outcomes. Brad smartly knits together core pillars that complement his broader goals to improve the lives of Black New Yorkers.”
Shawnee Renee Benton, Reproductive Activist, and Co Founder- ARIAH Foundation, said: “As a native of New York City and a mother of color who has experienced the best and the worst of what our city has to offer as it relates to reproductive healthcare, I know all too well, how important it is for every stakeholder across the reproductive landscape to work collaboratively and intentionally to address the crisis in maternal health. We must all be invested in stopping the scourge of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity from claiming the lives of our most vulnerable and impacted citizens; mothers and babies of color. Brad Lander’s commitment to supporting midwifery and Doula services aligns with what studies have revealed.”
Read Brad’s plan: Delivering Justice: Advancing Maternal Health for Black and Brown New Yorkers.
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