Arkansas is taking important steps to address high maternal mortality rates, especially for women of color.
Under natural conditions, black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
Angela Duran, Executive Director of Excel by Eight, works with families and communities to improve health and educational outcomes for children up to age eight.
She said that as a result of focus groups and research, her organization developed a new policy agenda that prioritizes maternal health.
“We're looking at making sure that women have adequate health insurance that covers them before childbirth, during childbirth, and postpartum,” Duran said. “We've met some amazing doulas in Arkansas who are very supportive of women, especially African American doulas, and have worked with black women all over the state.”
Duran said that as a result of Medicaid expansion, Arkansas now insures women up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.
She added that high-income women can also buy health insurance with low or no premiums, copays, and deductibles.
Duran praised Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders for signing executive orders to address maternal mortality and increase access to doulas and various forms of health insurance.
The maternal mortality rate in Arkansas is approximately 44 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Duran said her group's policy goals focus on examining people who face disenfranchisement from the system for a variety of reasons, hindering their ability to effectively navigate existing structures. He said there was.
“In addition to maternal health, we also support ALICE families (meaning asset-constrained, income-constrained and employed) because we recognize that it impacts black women more strongly. We’re paying attention,” Duran said. “So these are people who are working and doing the right thing, but still don't earn enough to meet their basic living expenses.”
Duran added that a prenatal care model called “centered pregnancy” can help improve outcomes for black and white women.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is launching a mobile version to reach underserved communities. Establish a support group for pregnant women at a similar stage.
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Supporters of a federal pilot program distributing diapers to low-income families in Massachusetts are hoping to build on that success.
Over the past few months, more than 1 million diapers, wipes and other essential supplies have helped approximately 1,600 families.
Adriana Leo, director of planning and grants management at Community Action in Haverhill, said the program gives parents on a tight budget a chance to succeed.
“Families know they have a supply of diapers to send their child to day care, and then they can go to work or attend school programs,” Leo explained. “It will be covered and your child will be comfortable.”
Leo noted that enrolled families are provided with 100 diapers each month, giving them financial flexibility to cover other basic needs. More than one-third of Massachusetts families said they can't afford to buy enough diapers for their children.
The Massachusetts Community Action Association, a coalition of more than 20 community action agencies in the state, has been awarded more than $1 million in federal aid to distribute diapers through four locations across the state and in western Connecticut.
Rep. Mindy Dom (D-Amherst) is sponsoring a bill that would create a state fund to continue the effort, and is holding a diaper drive at the state Capitol to drum up support.
“The biggest awareness campaign you can do is hold a diaper drive and get people who haven't experienced diapers being expensive these days to go to the store and see how much diapers cost,” Dom says. insisted.
Dom pointed out that diaper distribution is just one strategy, in addition to direct cash payments, to help families make ends meet. She pointed out that WIC and SNAP funds cannot be used to purchase diapers. The bill has already been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.
Mary Marte, North Shore Community Action Program's housing program director, said this is encouraging news as parents are reporting going without diapers at the end of the month and struggling to pay rent. he said.
“The clients and families we work with cannot afford $3,000 in rent on the North Shore,” Marte emphasized. “I think people really appreciate this assistance.”
Marte added that she thinks of the young mother and her one-year-old daughter who have benefited from the diaper distribution program, and the mother believes that diapers have given her peace of mind as she attends college and the confidence to continue. He said he gave it to me.
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Student loan borrowers in Mississippi and across the country may be able to reduce or eliminate their debt through a new one-time adjustment from the U.S. Department of Education.
This summer, if your loan is federally administered, the department will give you a credit for loan cancellation through this adjustment.
Cora Hume, an attorney with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said the adjustment is designed to make payments made count more and can be added to the payments needed for cancellation.
This adjustment counts loan payments made after July 1, 1994. In some cases, it also includes deferrals, financial hardship allowances, and deferrals.
“Historically, borrowers of all ages have struggled to access this income-driven repayment benefit,” Hume said. “This is very important because you can reduce your monthly payments based on your income and family size. This April 30 deadline applies to some loans.”
In Mississippi, 145,000 borrowers between the ages of 25 and 34 have an average debt of more than $31,000.
Hume said those with non-federal loans should consolidate them into direct consolidation loans with the U.S. Department of Education by the end of April to potentially benefit from this adjustment.
Hume emphasized that student loan debt does not discriminate, and their data shows that by 2023, 2.7 million older borrowers will owe an average of $41,000 in federal student loans. It was done.
He said that between 2004 and 2022, the number of elderly borrowers with student loans increased ninefold.
“32% of these older borrowers are struggling to pay their bills,” Hume said. “Regarding this adjustment, we know that borrowers age 62 and older will likely need to consolidate to take full advantage of this one-time payment frequency adjustment.”
Hume noted that more than 1 million seniors are not participating in direct loan programs and carry an average of more than $29,000 in debt since college.
He encouraged borrowers to visit StudentAid.gov/loan-consolidation to see if they qualify for any significant adjustments.
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A Wyoming nonprofit helps single mothers lift themselves out of poverty by providing them with the training and support they need to succeed in well-paying jobs.
Katie Hogarty, CEO of Climb Wyoming, said her team leverages a wide range of community partners, including school counselors, soup kitchens and health clinics, to identify women in need. I explained that there was. Climb then works with her mothers to find a reliable child care facility. The entire free training program can be completed in just 12 weeks.
“Our graduation rate is 98%, and 86% of our graduates have doubled or even tripled their wages two years after completing the program,” Professor Hogarty reported. “With such a short training program, we have achieved truly amazing results.”
According to data from the Wyoming Community Foundation, one in four children in Wyoming lives in a single-parent household, and those children are more likely to live in poverty than children in married-parent households. . Since 1986, Climb Her Wyoming has served more than 12,000 mothers and her 25,000 children.
Hogarty said each of the state's six locations is building relationships with local employers to ensure women receive the most appropriate training, as access to jobs is key to positive outcomes. He claimed that Climb will pay each new employee's first six weeks' wages and provide ongoing support as participants adjust to their new normal.
“We are committed to providing training for higher-paying jobs so that women can truly lift their families out of poverty,” Hogarty said. “Some of our communities focus on careers in health care. Some communities focus on construction. It really varies from community to community.”
The group's specialty is helping people who have stressed their brains through the constant fight, flight, or freeze mode trauma associated with extreme poverty to restore and strengthen executive functions essential to successful employment. That's it. Hogarty added that lifting mothers out of poverty has a huge impact on the second generation.
“The children of our graduates are more successful in school, healthier and more stable,” Hogarty emphasized. “That's why we all do this work. Because we believe in strong Wyoming and strong families.”
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