Grants Will Address Reasons Why Black Women Are Much More Likely to Die
from a Pregnancy-Related Cause than White Women
LOS ANGELES – Pregnancy-related mortality rates among Black women are more than three times higher than the rate for White women. Infants born to Black women are more than twice as likely to die compared to those born to White women, and economic status is not a factor. Instead, the disparities are rooted in systemic racism. Today, L.A. Care is announcing that it is committing $1.225 million* to benefit ten community-based organizations, policy research agencies, and clinical providers to help close the historic and widening health disparity gap. L.A. Care Health Plan launched the Generating African American Infant and Nurturers’ Survival Initiative (GAAINS) last year, with an initial $1 million commitment for eight organizations working toward that end.
“This initiative recognizes that nurturers, which include mothers, fathers, extended family, and community, must be included as a part of the solutions to the toxic stress that triggers mortality rates,” said John Baackes, L.A. Care CEO. “These grants will fund projects to provide training and support for birth workers who will help ensure that Black birthing families are provided unbiased, culturally appropriate care and access to resources that help infants survive their first year and beyond.”
Maternal Mental Health NOW, one of this year’s grantees, will use the funds to tailor its Perinatal Peer Support (PPS) program. The program aims to help the Black birthing population in Los Angeles County reduce stigma, relieve symptoms, and navigate the perinatal mental health care system and improve perinatal mental health disorders.
“Maternal Mental Health NOW's SANA SANA project will provide Black birthing people in Los Angeles County who are affected by perinatal mental health disorders a culturally congruent peer support program to reduce stigma, relieve symptoms, and navigate the perinatal mental health care system,” said Kelly O’Connor Kay, Executive Director of Maternal Mental Health Now. “We are so grateful to L.A. Care for their recognition of the role that perinatal health plays in the disparities in birth outcomes experienced by Black birthing people and for their investment in equitable programs and policies that collectively will reverse those disparities.”
The California Coalition for Black Birth Justice is another of this year’s grantees. The L.A. Care funding will help the organization convene focus groups and roundtables of safety net clinicians and hospital leadership to assess whether they have what is needed to advance Black birth equity.
“The GAAINS II funding will allow the California Coalition for Black Birth Justice to scale its efforts to unify and strengthen the Black birth justice movement in California by championing systems-level change in policies and practices,” said Asaiah Harville, Birth Equity Manager of the organization. “The Coalition will work to expand the literature and collective knowledge base that drives Black birth equity work, and additionally assess the needs and readiness of health systems looking to improve their quality of care delivered to Black birthing families in Los Angeles and beyond.”
The nine grantees are:
• Antelope Valley Partners for Health (AVPH) – Antelope Valley
• Beauty for Ashes Maternal Wellness Inc. – Antelope Valley, South L.A., South Bay
• Breastfeeding Taskforce of Greater Los Angeles – Carson, Long Beach, Gardena, Torrance
• California Coalition for Black Birth Justice – Antelope Valley, South L.A., South Bay
• Community Health Alliance of Pasadena – Alhambra, Pasadena, Foothill
• CinnaMoms – Los Angeles County
• Diversity Uplifts, Inc. – Los Angeles County
• Happy Mama Healthy Baby Alliance – San Fernando Valley, Alhambra, Pasadena, South L.A., Long Beach
• Maternal Mental Health NOW – Los Angeles County
• St. John’s Community Health – South L.A.
The GAAINS Initiative aligns with L.A. Care’s commitment to advancing health equity, working to ensure that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Projects will run through November 2024.
*Updated August 22, 2023