Increase in Maternal Mortality During COVID Underscores Need for Policy Changes
This article looks at how the rate of women who died during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth increased significantly during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new data from the National Center for Health Statistics, and Black women continued to experience maternal death at rates more than twice the national average. The need for policy change is emphasized.
Explore More
Moving Away from Family Separation: Cross-Systems Strategies to Support Young Children at Risk of Child Welfare Involvement
Report March 12, 2026
Between October 2024 and April 2025, the BUILD Initiative hosted a six-part webinar series, offered through BUILD’s Prenatal-to-Three Capacity Building Hub. This report provides key learnings and highlights from the webinar series.
Community Births – A Solution to Maternity Care Deserts
Archived Webinar March 3, 2026
According to the March of Dimes 2024 report, "Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the United States," 1,104 counties, or about 35% of the nation’s 3,142 counties, are designated as Maternity Care Deserts.
Evidence for Expanded Access to Head Start and Early Head Start
Blog February 27, 2026
Head Start and Early Head Start have been proven effective for supporting young children’s development, and their parents, for many years. But did you know that Head Start and Early Head Start can reduce child maltreatment and child welfare system involvement?