Strategies for Improving Systems for Black Babies, Children, and Families
This series will share reflections from Baby 1st Network’s virtual Community Convenings.
Baby’s 1st Network’s Community Convening series, “Using Our Radical Imagination: What Equitable Systems of Maternal, Pregnancy, and Infant Care Will Be,” provided attendees with information about policies that may impact their work, shared best practices, helped improve skills, and featured experts in a variety of health topics, including safe sleep, breastfeeding, improving birth outcomes, and more.
The convening, held on August 8th, featured Birthing Professionals who shared the challenges of navigating complex healthcare systems and the need for effective communication and education.
Featured guests:
- Kadijah Torian is a certified birth doula, community health worker, and lactation instructor. Torian is the founder of Pure Heart Doula, offering perinatal support, education and services to Black and brown families in Columbus, Ohio. She is also the Senior Manager of Pregnancy and Perinatal Supports at Celebrate One and serves on the Doula Advisory Group for the Ohio Board of Nursing.
- Natasha Peterson completed her studies at the National Midwifery Institute in January of 2024. Her unwavering commitment to addressing healthcare disparities within African American and other marginalized communities is evident in her current role as the founder and owner of Your Womb LLC, which offers holistic midwifery and doula services. Peterson has extensive experience in various birth-related roles.
Read more for recommendations for improvement, including cultural competency and appropriate care in healthcare settings, increased community involvement and advocacy, and better communication and education for communities.
Reimagining Systems for Black Babies, Children, and Families
Using a radical imagination to design systems that better support Black babies, children and families requires transformative work that not only amplifies Black voices and lived experiences, but truly centers the communities that are most impacted by negative birth and health outcomes.
Torian envisions a system where Black families and community members are involved in policymaking and advocating for their needs, with culturally appropriate care and diverse staff in healthcare settings.
“In an ideal world, the system for Black babies and children, would have Black families and community members being involved in political activities and having a seat at the table,” Torian explained. “Honestly, to be able to advocate for exactly what their needs are and being able to express what the challenges are – the challenges they’re experiencing in the communities where our Black babies and children are being born, and where they’re playing and where they’re learning.”
Peterson emphasized the importance of informed choice and improving access to care, with professionals acting as resources and accountability partners for families.
“In my ideal world, we can look at the big problems,” Peterson said. “We know what the problems are. We know how to address them. We’ve been dancing around them for years and years, addressing them a little bit, but the root is still lack of access. Improving access is going to be the key to everything. Also, informed choice. We can improve access to the services people need, while helping people understand what it is that they’re asking for, why they’re asking for it, how it’s going to affect them, the benefits, the risk – everything.”
Roles of Professionals in Creating the Ideal System
Birthing professionals can play a role in improving current systems by continuing education and staying informed of best practices for providing equitable, respectful care. By sharing evidence-based resources with communities, parents and caregivers can make better informed decisions for their children and families.
Torian emphasized the importance of being a resource and educating both families and professionals, as well as holding professionals accountable for continuing education and providing culturally competent care.
“We have to be prepared and be ready for those who are in need and need help, and just continue to hold ourselves accountable to be in the know,” Torian said. “It’s kind of like in my private time, just like I like to read books, and I like to bake – what’s the random new ACOG recommendation or CDC posting that’s out today? What is the new birthing position that’s going to get baby engaged with that pelvis faster? It’s important to be that expert for the community when necessary. As an individual, I’m constantly holding myself accountable and staying knowledgeable about the things that are happening around me.”
Peterson highlighted the need for collaboration and resource sharing to increase capacity for nonprofit organizations and improve communication with families.
“We need to collaborate more,” Peterson said. “Sometimes there are so many resources that families get confused. It would be helpful if we tried to consolidate or become a collective so that people had one phone call to make, and we know we’re doing warm handoffs to make it less stressful for people. The last thing you want when you need help is to have to call 17 different places.”
Additionally, both panelists stressed the importance of “walking the talk” and being prepared to provide support and information when needed.
For more strategies for creating equitable systems of maternal, pregnancy, and infant care, read more from the series.