Welcome New Ready, Set, Soar Ohio Coalition Members!
Ready, Set, Soar Ohio would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest coalition members who joined us in March! Our coalition includes more than 100 early childhood, education, health, advocacy, philanthropy and business organizations, community leaders, policymakers, and families. We are humbled by the work that lies ahead and look forward to working with you in the coming months and years to help make Ohio the best place to be a young child.
Welcome to our newest coalition members:
If you know an organization or individual who may be interested in joining the Ready, Set, Soar Ohio coalition, invite them to join by sharing this link.
Home Visitors: A Lifeline for Moms and Babies
Families are the first and most important teachers, playing a critical role in a child’s development during the first three years of life. When families have the resources and support to provide adequate care and enrichment during the earliest years, children can grow and thrive.
Voluntary evidence-based home visiting services such as the federally-funded
Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program and Ohio's Help Me Grow bring early childhood development and health professionals to new parents to help them cultivate strong, healthy relationships with their children. As a new video from Ready, Set, Soar Ohio highlights, home visitors are a lifeline for moms, babies, and their families.
Please watch and share Ready, Set, Soar Ohio's new video on the importance of evidence-based home visiting.
Black Maternal Health Week: April 11-17
Mark your calendars: April 11-April 17 is Black Maternal Health Week! Black Maternal Health Week serves to amplify the stories of Black mothers and elevate effective policies and solutions to eliminate racism, bias, and inequities in maternal care.
Be sure to follow Ready, Set, Soar Ohio on Facebook, Twitter, and our website for content to read and share throughout Black Maternal Health Week. You can join the conversation online by using the hashtags #BlackMaternalHealth, #BMHW21, and #BlackMamasMatter.
Coalition Member Spotlight: Moms2B Supporting Pregnant Women
A pregnant woman’s zip code and race too often determine whether or not she will have a healthy pregnancy and, ultimately, a healthy child. Unfortunately, Black pregnant women and their babies are more at-risk of maternal and infant mortality than their white peers due the systemic racism and the disproportionate impact poverty has on their health and well-being.
In 2010, when infant mortality rates were on the rise in Columbus, Moms2B formed with a mission to reduce infant mortality in the city by providing pregnant mothers nutrition support and guidance throughout their pregnancy. Moms2B has since expanded their program, supporting women throughout their pregnancy and after birth up until their child reaches their first birthday.
Check out our newest fact sheet on supporting pregnant women, developed in partnership with Ready, Set, Soar Ohio coalition member Moms2B.
Community Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is seeking applicants to submit a Request for Information for a potential funding opportunity to support lead poisoning prevention programs. ODH is interested in learning about the capacity of local communities to develop a targeted approach to reduce childhood lead poisoning in high-risk areas. If funding is received, ODH will select proposals from up to nine Ohio communities who outline a focused primary prevention strategy.
Potential bidders may be non-profit community organizations, local health districts, local housing agencies, local social service agencies, for-profit environmental or housing consulting firms or other groups who will work to combat lead poisoning prevention in their respective community.
Click here to learn more about the opportunity and how to submit a Request for Information. Responses must be submitted by 5:00pm ET on Friday, April 9, 2021.