Perinatal Safe Zone: Supporting Healthier Pregnancies Together

Perinatal Safe Zone: Supporting Healthier Pregnancies Together

 

In August 2021 we awarded $1 million to support the establishment of a Perinatal Safe Zone in Central Texas by creating the community conditions to support healthy pregnancies, and health outcomes for women that have a two-generation benefit. Read this letter from Senior Program Officer Lourdes Rodriguez and learn more about the initiative below. 

Perinatal Safe Zone

a geographic or virtual space that is judgment-free, welcoming, and offers the physical, emotional, and educational support to create the community conditions needed for healthy pregnancies

Materno-Toxic Zone

a virtual or physical space that is detrimental to maternal health, where a woman may feel unsafe to be pregnant, breastfeeding, or parenting.

The perinatal safe zone is modeled after—and inspired by—women’s health advocate Jennie Joseph and her work through the National Perinatal Task Force, a grassroots movement to start and grow promising Perinatal Safe Spots (PSS) in every materno-toxic zone, in order to eliminate racial and income related disparities in birth outcomes, and to create equity and power in maternal child health care.

Learn more about the National Perinatal Task Force here >

Grantees

We are excited to partner with a stellar group of community partners in our work to transform Central Texas into a perinatal safe zone. Learn more about our grantees and their projects below:

Community Health Workers prenatal/postpartum and, as needed, bereavement support.

Learn more about their work:

Train caregivers on social determinants impacting their lives to prepare them to help build community conditions for healthier pregnancies.

Learn more about their work: https://www.atxccu.org/

Plan evaluation of Con Mi Madre programming components that impact unplanned pregnancy prevention.

Learn more about their work: https://www.conmimadre.org/

Provide out of hospital birthing options for Black families in rural areas of Central Texas.

Learn more about their work: https://www.deliveringuntoyou.com/

Doula training for teenagers.

Learn more about their work: https://doulatrainingsinternational.com/

Trauma-informed prenatal and postpartum support.

Basic needs and mental health support for low income pregnant and postpartum families.

Learn more about their work: https://www.msvwatx.org/

Plan for a joint physical community space to allow families to receive multiple services at a single location.

Learn more about their work: https://www.mhecatx.org/

Plan the preferred content and context of support groups for birthing families in Williamson county’s Georgetown Housing Authority.

Learn more about their work:

Plan to incorporate the perspectives of families of color, immigrant families, and families with low-income into Partners in Parenting programming.

Learn more about their work: https://www.pipaustin.org/

Incorporate lived experiences of women of color of reproductive age (both current patients and non-patients) in PCC’s perinatal health offerings.

Learn more about their work: https://www.austinpcc.org/

 

Conduct resource mapping and community surveying activities in Bastrop, Caldwell,  Williamson, and rural areas of Travis to connect and refer Latinx birthing families.

Join the Community of Practice

Our Perinatal Safe Zone learning collaborative hosts training opportunities open to anyone working on perinatal health. Find information on upcoming training opportunities below:

Embodied Herstories: A 2-day training on root causes of reproductive health inequities. Learn more and register here >

  • October 28 and November 4, 2022
  • February 24 and March 3, 2023

Maternal Justice Model: A 2-day deep dive training into strategies for social change. Learn more and register here >

  • January 20 and 27, 2023
  • April 28 and May 5, 2023

Bookmark this page and subscribe to our email newsletter if you’re interested in attending these training opportunities!