Prime Highlights
- Wes Moore called for greater investment in maternal health support before and after childbirth.
- Arkansas highlighted bipartisan reforms, including new postpartum support programs.
Key Facts
- The Bridge Project will support 150 Maryland families with direct cash aid and resources.
- The US recorded 649 maternal deaths in 2024, with little change in mortality rates.
Background
Maryland Governor Wes Moore has called for stronger investment in maternal health programs across the United States, saying mothers need better support before and after childbirth. Speaking on Mother’s Day, Moore said governments, private groups and community organizations must work together to improve access to care.
Moore highlighted a new partnership between Maryland and The Bridge Project, a nonprofit initiative that provides direct cash support and community resources to mothers during pregnancy and in the early years of raising a child.
He said the program will initially support 150 families in Maryland areas facing long-term poverty challenges. Moore added that the effort follows other state measures focused on children and poverty reduction, including the ENOUGH Initiative, a place-based anti-poverty program.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders also stressed the need for bipartisan action on maternal health. She said improving outcomes became a priority after Arkansas continued to rank poorly in maternal mortality.
Sanders said the state formed a strategic working group that brought together people from different political backgrounds to develop solutions. She said the cooperation showed that maternal health can unite people across party lines.
The group helped shape the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act and other programs. These include a Proactive Postpartum Call Center operated through the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, which contacts women during the first six weeks after childbirth to discuss physical and mental health concerns.
