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KCTV 5 News talks with Tracy Russell of Nurture KC and mom Erica Bailey, who experienced a stillbirth seven days before her due date. They share how we can better advocate for new mothers in this news segment.

Our Annual Event is almost here and it’s your last chance to register to attend. Join us this Thursday on June 20 for “Mind Over Matter: Maternal Mental Health in the KC Metro.” Click “read more” below to register and see our full news release.

“This event puts maternal mental health in the spotlight, and offers some solutions, like why paid parental leave is critical,” says Tracy Russell, Executive Director of Nurture KC. “A mother’s mental health can be as important as her physical health, and it shapes the environment in which her children learn, grow and thrive. We need to have these conversations about how to make resources available to our underserved, new moms who need it most.”

Learn about our latest podcast, annual event and more through our June Update. Also, a big thank you to UMKC Institute for Human Development for their continued support.

Watch our FIMR Podcast on how Nurture KC helps reduce infant mortality and health care disparities in Kansas City. It’s important work!

We are hosting “Mind Over Matter: Maternal Mental Health in the KC Metro” on June 20. Our keynote speaker is Jamie Belsito (pictured left) with Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance. We’ll also have several panel discussions with local leaders you won’t want to miss! See all our guests and agenda, and to register, visit 2024 Annual Meeting – Nurture KC.

We are thrilled to welcome Ahkeya Howard as our new Community Engagement Director. She joins us at our corporate headquarters after being our Lead Community Health Worker for Healthy Start at Swope. You can read Ahkeya’s bio on our web site to learn more.

Our grant to run our Healthy Start program has been renewed for another 5 years! We will continue to provide essential support to the families we serve … and then some! In this May issue we also welcome to our new Community Engagement Director, share our 2023 Annual Report, recap what K.C. hospitals received ‘Nurturing Safe Sleep Champion’ certification and more.

Nurture KC is proud to announce that five area hospitals have been awarded Nurturing Safe Sleep Champion status for adopting a safe sleep policy for babies, training staff accordingly and providing corresponding education to parents. Ultimately, this certification saves newborns’ lives.

“Our Nurturing Safe Sleep initiative was a response to the high rates of infant death due to unsafe sleep, particularly for Black babies. Unsafe sleep accounts for 16 percent of all infant deaths, and 24 percent of Black infant deaths, in Kanas City. These deaths are preventable,” says Tracy Russell, Executive Director of Nurture KC. “Hospitals play a leading role in establishing a culture of safe sleep and serve as a touchpoint for new parents.”

Click “read more” below to see which hospitals have earned the certification and read the full news release.