Action Alert: Tell Congress to Support Equitable Structures For Maternal Health

As United Methodists, we are called to eradicate systems of oppression and marginalization that inhibit women’s well-being. (2016 Book of Resolutions, #3203 Maternal Health: The Church’s Role) The CARE for Moms Act, sponsored by Rep. Robin Kelly, is a comprehensive approach that seeks to address the maternal mortality and morbidity crisis in the United States. 

Maternal deaths in the U.S. reached 1,205 in 2021 – a 40% increase from the previous year. There were approximately 32 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in the U.S., that is approximately three times greater than other industrialized countries. Furthermore, the maternal mortality crisis disproportionately impacts Black women at an alarming rate. In 2021, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) affirmed that the maternal mortality rate among Black women remained 3.5 times higher than white women.  

The CARE for Moms Act aims to improve maternal health outcomes by equipping the healthcare workforce, improving access to care, and resourcing mothers and babies with the materials they need to thrive. Specifically, this bill would:

• Establish a State-Based Perinatal Quality Collaborative Grant Program to improve perinatal care nationwide;
• Support a federal effort to grow and diversify the doula workforce;
• Extend Medicaid coverage for mothers one year postpartum in every state;
• Establish grants for Rural Obstetric Mobile Units to enhance women’s health services in rural areas; and 
• Extend WIC benefits for postpartum and breastfeeding women for two years.

As members of the beloved community, we must continue to demand that quality care is provided for all mothers and children. As United Methodists, our mandate is clear; to advocate with policy makers at all levels to expand and support access to maternal health.

Use this form below to insist that Congress pass the CARE for Moms Act.