Every baby deserves a healthy start and a healthy life.
A new grant from Ballmer Group will help Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department improve the health of Black infants and parents in Pierce County. We’ll use the 3-year, $1 million grant to pilot a redesigned Black Infant Health (BIH) program and create a model that community organizations and local health jurisdictions across the state can replicate.
“In Pierce County, Black infants and mothers die at more than twice the rate of their white counterparts,” said Sebrena Chambers, Division Director of Strengthening Families. “Healthy parents with healthy babies is one of our highest priorities. This grant will help our work to address that devastating disparity.”
Ballmer Group has awarded more than $850 million in grants across the U.S. Ballmer Group is committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States, funding leaders and organizations that have demonstrated the ability to reshape opportunity and reduce systemic inequities.
“Ballmer Group is pleased to support the Black Infant Health Program in their work to decrease Black infant and maternal mortality rates,” said Andi Smith, Executive Director at Ballmer Group. “This grant strengthens this vital program and expands their ability to serve more people and families in Tacoma and Pierce County.”
The grant will support our BIH program to offer home visits to Black parents and babies from a Black community health worker, postpartum support provided by a Black public health nurse, low-barrier peer support groups, and birth doula services for some enrolled clients.
Community health workers provide ongoing support to Black parents from pregnancy through the child’s first birthday and help families with things like:
- Assess needs and link them to services during pregnancy and infancy.
- Help them complete applications and paperwork.
- Advocate for their needs with social and healthcare providers.
- Provide mentorship, emotional support, and health education.
- Supporting them to make and pursue school and work goals.
As the only BIH program in Washington since 2009, we’ve been working hard to ensure all babies can thrive in Pierce County. This investment will expand that work and help us continue to save lives.
No help for Hispanic or Native American babies? Seems rather racist
I agree! This seems very exclusionary. Denying people access to resources based on the color of someone’s skin. Very racist!
Where does it say people are denied based on skin color? Centering the needs of one culture doesn’t mean denial of another. Please get over that terrible mindset. It’s simply not true; not a single organization turns people for their skin color, but white-run organizations can and do make it difficult for people of color to access services hence the need for creating their own.
Thank you Steve and Connie Ballmer for the $43 million you have infused into our state this past year for children. Your investing in children and their future is commendable and excellent use of your private wealth. The grant in Pierce County for maternal/infant care is greatly needed as these deaths are twice those white and Hispanic death rates. If all billionaires were as generous as you it would change the world. You are the example in a world of naysayers.
It’s funny that folks only comment negatively when there is an excellent program for black people. I never see you comment when the Korean community does something amazing to service their community or the AAPI community provides cultural goodness to their community. Bigotry, Ms. Kerpal eats one up from the inside out, leaving you looking much older and dried out, but I distressed….
Way to segregate.
Kerpal, you’re old and tired. Could you give it a rest? You only post when you have something to say that is negative towards the black. Community or people. Why is that? Why do you hate black people so much? Keep your bigotry to yourself. Our society doesn’t need it. Ugh!
You are a blatant bigot, and it’s tiring. Aren’t you tired? The weight of your black heart must be heavy, and you have been a hatemonger for years; go rest.