Two of the core competencies of a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator center upon advocacy—individual advocacy and stakeholder advocacy.

Lamaze International continues to expand advocacy efforts by engaging policymakers, payers and providers to develop strategic partnerships to increase access to childbirth education. Efforts on the local, state and national levels are critical to this endeavor and we can only succeed with the expertise and efforts of our membership. 

2023 Lamaze Roundtable - Demonstrating the Case for Childbirth Education as a Cost-Effective Method for Improving Childbirth Outcomes 

This invite-only virtual event was held on Thursday, September 14, 2023, from 1:00 PM ET to 5:00 PM ET and was an opportunity for advocates and specialists in perinatal healthcare to share their expertise and address the barriers to equitable perinatal care. The roundtable featured a diverse group of partner organizations that discussed the social, ethical, and economic benefits of addressing health equity in perinatal care. The participants also explored best practices to advance perinatal and postpartum coverage for underserved communities, and strategies for measuring the impact of these efforts. View the proceedings report which includes recommendations and action items for payers, legislators, and regulators.

2022 Roundtable Discussion - Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding and Maternal Health Legislation in 2022: The Federal Landscape and Lessons from New Jersey

Click here to watch the recording of our August 11 roundtable discussion! As National Breastfeeding Month is celebrated in August each year, the 2022 landscape presents families, policymakers, and the general public with an infant formula crisis and continued calls to improve maternal health outcomes. Lamaze International is pleased to collaborate with Chanelle Andrews, Jill Wodnick, and Michelle Gabriel-Caldwell for an online conversation and presentation on maternal health and breastfeeding policy initiatives. Speakers will focus on the The Mommies Act, the Mommas ACT, and the Momnibus, plus New Jersey-specific programs that support maternal health and wellbeing. Don't forget to download the handout that references various bills and advocacy resources.

Issue Briefs & Advocacy Resources

• About Lamaze International
• Childbirth Education Impact Infographic
• Impact of Childbirth Education: "Evidence-Based Childbirth Education: A Key Strategy to Improve U.S. Maternal & Childbirth Outcomes"
• Shared Decision-Making: "Evidence-Based Childbirth Education: An Essential Step in Shared Decision-Making for Maternity Care"

Letters of Support

AMCHP Title V Needs Assessment

Every five years, HRSA’s Title V Grant Program requires states and jurisdictions to conduct a state-/jurisdiction-wide, comprehensive needs assessment. These assessments help guide and facilitate strategic planning and decision making, as well as strategic resource allocation. This process also enables state/jurisdiction Title V programs to benchmark and plan in five-year segments.

Learn more about the Title V Needs-Assessment process by visiting the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs Title V Resources and Toolkit.

Federal Legislation to Track and Support (2021-2022)

Lamaze International is pleased to support the Congressional Black Maternal Health Caucus’ Momnibus, a legislative package that seeks to improve maternal and childbirth outcomes for women disproportionately affected by maternal mortality and morbidity. The 12 bills within the Momnibus would increase access to comprehensive and quality prenatal services such as evidence-based childbirth education. Such initiatives would improve U.S. maternal and childbirth outcomes and reduce U.S. maternal mortality rates that disproportionately affect black women. The Momnibus would address maternal health disparities through the following 12 bills: 

1. S. 851/H.R. 943, The Social Determinants for Moms Act would invest in health social determinants that influence maternal health outcomes, such as housing, transportation, and nutrition.
2. S. 1042/H.R. 1212, The Kira Johnson Act* would help fund community-based organizations that help promote culturally congruent maternal health care. 
3. S. 796/H.R. 958, The Protecting Moms who Served Act would study the maternal-health risks women veterans face and invest in Veteran Affairs’ maternity-care coordination. 
4. S. 287/H.R. 945, The Perinatal Workforce Act* would increase and diversify the perinatal workforce to ensure that all women can access culturally congruent maternal care and support. 
5. S. 347/H.R. 925, The Data to Save Moms Act* would improve data-collection processes and quality measures to understand maternal-health crisis causes in the United States and inform solutions to address it. 
6. S. 484/H.R. 909, The Moms MATTER Act* would support maternal-mental health care and substance-use disorder treatments. 
7. S. 341/H.R. 948, The Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act* would invest in programs in jails and prisons to support incarcerated women who are pregnant.
8. S. 893/H.R. 937, The Tech to Save Moms Act would invest in digital tools (e.g. telehealth) to improve maternal health outcomes for individuals in underserved areas. 
9. S. 334/H.R. 950, The IMPACT to Save Moms Act would promote innovative payment models to incentivize high-quality maternity care and expand health-insurance coverage from pregnancy through one-year postpartum.
10. S. 423/H.R. 957, Protecting Moms and Babies against Climate Change Act would invest in community initiatives related to climate change to reduce health-related risks promote equity.
11. S. 345/H.R. 951, The Maternal Vaccination Act would promote maternal vaccinations to protect the health and safety of moms and babies.
12. Not yet introduced, The Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act would make investments to safeguard maternal health during the COVID-19 pandemic and future public-health emergencies.
    
    *Bill includes childbirth education/educator provisions.

• S. 1675/H.R. 4387, Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act would use evidence-based processes and resources to facilitate best practices to improve maternal health and childbirth outcomes. 
• H.R. 3337, The Birth Access Benefitting Improved Essential Facility Services (BABIES) Act would launch Medicaid demonstration projects to improve access to birth centers in underserved communities.  
• S. 346/H.R. 959, Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act would address maternal health disparities.

Together, we can improve access to evidence-based childbirth education—and ultimately, childbirth outcomes. Let us know if you have questions about, or ideas for, Lamaze advocacy.