Grassroots MCH Initiative

It was a great honor and pleasure to present about our work in Honduras at the 2023 International Corrections and Prisons Association meeting in Antwerp, Belgium. It was great to be at a conference with others passionate about building humane corrections for people deprived of liberty and ensuring their honor and dignity. Finally, it was great to talk about all the great work that my colleagues and friends in Honduras 🇭🇳 are doing to advance human rights there!

The Grassroots MCH Initiative is honored to share the story of Johanna Bryan, a loving, resilient mother who completed the Promises of Parenting program in the Indiana Women's Prison Officer Breann Leath Memorial Maternal-Child Health Unit and is now thriving out in the community with her son. The Grassroots MCH Initiative just received $468,000 from Early Learning Indiana to expand and continue Promises of Parenting for the next three years!

Anderson mother thanks prison program for relationship with her son In 2022, Johanna Bryan gave birth to 1-year-old Zavid while incarcerated.

TEASER ALERT! Tune in to WTHR Channel 13 tomorrow - Tuesday, 10/17 - at 4:00p.m. for a story about the Promises of Parenting Program in the Indiana Women's Prison and how one mom, Johanna Bryan, is now thriving out in the community with her son. Thanks to a new Early Years Initiative grant received from Early Learning Indiana, the Grassroots MCH Initiative will be able to continue the Promises of Program for the next three years.

The Grassroots MCH Initiative is thrilled to announce that we’ve been selected as a proud recipient of an Early Years Initiative grant from Early Learning Indiana! We’re stepping up our efforts to provide crucial support for infants and toddlers in Indiana. This grant empowers us to continue and expand the Promises of Parenting Program to provide parenting education in the Indiana Women's Prison Officer Breann Leath Memorial Maternal-Child Health Unit, ensuring a brighter future for our little ones. Stay tuned for updates!

The MCH continues initiatives to address inequities in maternal and infant health by addressing housing.

IU-led collaboration providing housing for pregnant women with housing insecurity An Indiana University School of Medicine-led program is helping provide housing for pregnant women who are housing insecure or homeless.

We were honored today to learn that the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) selected our work to profile in honor of International Families Day! What a great honor for our team and the wonderful moms and babies we serve!

Please read and share with friends!

ICPA offers free resource on International Day of Families to promote family-focused initiatives in correctional facilities ICPA is offering a free article from the popular Advancing Corrections Journal to mark International Day of Families.

We were honored today to learn that the International Corrections and Prison Association selected our work to profile in honor of International Families Day! They are providing a link to our initial manuscript on our Mothers on the Rise initiative that serves mother-baby pairs transitioning from a prison nursery to community! What an honor to my incredible staff who do this work and the wonderful moms and babies! Please read and share with your friends!

ICPA offers free resource on International Day of Families to promote family-focused initiatives in correctional facilities ICPA is offering a free article from the popular Advancing Corrections Journal to mark International Day of Families.

We are so excited that Grassroots MCH Initiative’s senior researcher Erin Macey was able to go to the White House to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Family & Medical Leave Act and the new Pregnant Worker Fairness Act.

We will be updating our Know Your Rights: Pregnant & Parenting Workers one-pager with these new rights soon! Find our KYR collection here: https://fsph.iupui.edu/research-centers/centers/cheer/grassroots/policy-advocacy.html

A huge THANK YOU to CHIP Indianapolis for supporting the development of the Housing Equity for Infant Health Initiative and for inviting us to share the story of our journey into housing work today.

We look forward to continued partnership, learning, and success!

"For mothers coming out of prison, there are often added challenges, like finding child care and buying formula they can afford. Mothers on the Rise is trying to make it easier for these women and their children."

We are grateful to NPR for taking the time to learn about and share the story of Mothers on the Rise!

Indiana group helps mothers recently released from prison find housing and jobs Mothers on the Rise shows women how to navigate challenges, such as finding jobs or housing, that can arise for people with prison records.