What is the Maternal Health Innovation Project?
The Family and Child Health division received grant funding (Maternal Health Innovation Grant) to support work across sectors to improve the health and well-being of birthing people. These efforts focus on better coordination of care, using data to guide improvements, and making services accessible for everyone.
Help us develop Vermont's first Maternal Health Strategic Plan
Join the statewide effort to develop Vermont’s first Maternal Health Strategic Plan—your voice matters. More information about this work will be available soon.
The Vermont Department of Health’s Division of Family and Child Health (FCH) invites partners from across the maternal health system—clinicians, advocates, community leaders, and individuals with lived experience—to join a collaborative planning process to improve maternal health across Vermont. This work, supported by the federal Maternal Health Innovation (MHI) Grant, will create and implement Vermont’s first Maternal Health Strategic Plan. If you or your organization supports pregnant or postpartum Vermonters in any way, we want you at the table.
The Vermont Department of Health, Division of Family and Child Health (FCH), is pleased to invite you to participate in Vermont’s Maternal Health Strategic Planning process. This collaborative statewide initiative aims to improve maternal health outcomes, reduce disparities, and promote equitable, high-quality care for all Vermonters during the perinatal period (i.e., pregnancy and postpartum periods).
Rooted in a commitment to partnership, FCH will convene a wide range of people with a connection to the maternal health space. This group will include clinical providers, public health professionals, doulas and midwives, mental health specialists, housing and social service organizations, policy advocates, and most importantly, individuals with lived experience. Together, we will identify shared priorities and develop strategies to improve maternal health across the state.
The Vermont Maternal Health Innovation Grant supports this process. This federal initiative funds systems-level innovation, workforce development, and community-based care models to reduce maternal mortality (death) and severe maternal morbidity (illness). Through this process, the Maternal Health Task Force will serve as a formal advisory body that informs the creation and implementation of Vermont’s first Maternal Health Strategic Plan. This plan will align ongoing efforts, guide future directions, and elevate community voices in policymaking.
We are seeking participation from any organization that touches maternal and perinatal health in Vermont and for Vermonters, including but not limited to:
• Hospitals, birth centers, and clinics
• Behavioral health and substance use providers
• Doulas, midwives, and lactation consultants
• Home visiting and family support programs
• Housing, transportation, and nutrition services
• BIPOC advocacy and health equity organizations
• Policy, academic, and research partners
• People with lived experience
We recognize the varied capacities of our partners. That’s why we’re offering different levels of participation: from staying informed via email updates to joining working groups or serving as core task force members. Please fill out this brief interest survey to tell us about your preferred level of involvement. You can change your level of engagement at any point as your availability or priorities shift.
The first full meeting of the Maternal Health Task Force will be held in late May 2025, with subsequent meetings to follow. Working groups will meet as needed to support specific projects.
We hope you’ll join us in shaping a maternal health system that works for all Vermonters, particularly those who have historically faced barriers to care. Your ideas, expertise, and experience are important to this work.