Check out what’s new!
Birth and Beyond
Virtual
March 5th-26th
Wednesdays, 6pm-8:30pm
Postpartum Planning for Expectant Parents
Virtual
1st and 3rd Wednesdays
7pm and 7:30pm
Recent Updates
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A big thank you to everyone who attended the Quarterly Collaborative Meeting this week! We will have slides and the recording available soon!
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Be sure to check out 2026 Small Project Grants page to learn more about the SWMPQIC Small Projects Grants happening throughout the Region
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Stay tuned for registration for the upcoming Town Hall! Time and date TBD.
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Please share flyers and information for the SWMPQIC Classes. All classes are free, virtual, and open to anyone in Region 8.
Advocacy Opportunity
Study on Rx Kids Shows Reductions in Child Maltreatment
Taken from 05/15/2026 "Friday Notes" by Michigan Council for Maternal Child Health
A new peer-reviewed study published in JAMA Pediatrics provides rigorous, population-level evidence that Rx Kids is associated with substantial reductions in child maltreatment investigations among infants.
Following the launch of Rx Kids in January 2024, maltreatment investigations among Flint infants in their first six months of life declined from 21.7% to 15.5%. During this same time period, there was an increase in allegations in 21 similar comparison cities. Rx Kids led to a 7-percentage-point decline or a 32% relative reduction in maltreatment investigations in Flint.
With research collaborators from three institutions, the study’s authors observed consistent declines across multiple categories of child welfare involvement, including neglect-related and non-neglect-related investigations, as well as substantiated cases. In total, researchers estimate that the program prevented approximately 57 infants from experiencing a child welfare investigation in its first year alone, demonstrating how economic support during pregnancy and early infancy can improve child well-being.
Several pathways may explain these outcomes. Prior research on Rx Kids has documented reductions in food and housing hardship and significant reductions in postpartum evictions. These changes are closely linked to reductions in parental stress and improvements in maternal mental health, which are key factors known to influence child safety and well-being.
Additionally, the program has been associated with improved birth outcomes, including reductions in low birthweight and prematurity, both of which are risk factors for later maltreatment.
Rx Kids needs your voice! Learn more about how to advocate for funding for Rx Kids in the FY27 state budget, and find details on the May 20 webinar highlight Rx Kids' enrollees improved outcomes in the May 1 edition of Friday Notes.
MCMCH Executive Director Amy Zaagman was interviewed for a Detroit Free Press piece, How Rx Kids’ cash aid is helping Michigan moms afford diapers, food and rent. Published on Mother's Day, it includes stories from Rx Kids moms.
News from around Region 8
Scroll through to see events and flyers from our partners throughout Region 8
Regional Event Flyers
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MDHHS Virtual Baby Fair
Do you have an event, program, or news you'd like
us to share with Region 8?
Please send the information to Alysse at alyssebreckenridge@outlook.com. If you have flyers to share or graphics for social media, please send them along too!
On our Socials…
Our Facebook and Instagram are places to stay informed about regional events and resources. Be sure to follow us!
MDHHS Updates
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Mental Health Awareness Month
This May the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is celebrating the power in every story to break down mental health stigma. When we share our mental health journeys, we show others that there is hope.
By sharing our lived experiences, learning from each other’s experiences, and building strong community connections, we can challenge stigma and create spaces where people are supported, understood, and find healing.
Every story shared turns silence into connection, and connection into healing. Together, we can strengthen communities and create opportunities for empathy, understanding, and meaningful change. Join a community where no one has to face mental health challenges alone. Learn more about NAMI.
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The Children’s Special Health Care Services Bullying Prevention grant opportunity for schools is open!
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has issued a competitive Grant Funding Opportunity for schools to develop and implement peer-to-peer programs to address bullying of students with special heath care needs at elementary and secondary schools.
This opportunity is open to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, private- and public-school districts. The full grant period is Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027, with a total of $150,000 available. MDHHS anticipates issuing between 30 and 35 awards.
Grant applications must be submitted electronically through the EGrAMS system by 3 p.m., Friday, May 22.
Read more at MDHHS seeks proposals for development of anti-bullying initiatives for students with special health…
Thank you for helping us to get the word out about this grant opportunity. If you have questions, please email them to MDHHS-BPI@michigan.gov.
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May is Preeclampsia Awareness Month
In recognition of May as Preeclampsia Awareness Month, please view the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) Tools for Improving Outcomes in Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy webinar. Preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) affect about 5-8% of all pregnancies, but their cause is still not fully understood. They continue to present a challenge for clinicians to better identify who is at risk and use their experience to make clinical decisions to manage HDP when it appears to be happening.
The motto often used with preeclampsia awareness is the phrase "delivering hope" to suggest that families affected by preeclampsia share their stories together to help the next family who may be affected by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. For more information please visit the Preeclampsia Foundation at https://www.preeclampsia.org/awarenessmonth.
Register for the SMFM/Preeclampsia Foundation webinar Preeclampsia Tests: Real-world impact of preeclampsia biomarker tools, scheduled for May 28 at 2:00 PM ET.
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May is National Women’s Health Month
Women’s Health Month is a time dedicated to raising awareness about the unique physical, mental, and emotional health challenges women face. Cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among women, often presents with symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, or shortness of breath rather than the more widely recognized chest pain according to the Office on Women’s Health.
Heart disease isn’t just a health issue; it’s the leading cause of death for women. However, research has shown that only about half (56%) of women living in the U.S. recognize that heart disease is their number 1 killer. Heart health is a critical concern for women of every age and background, and the risks for heart disease vary widely from person to person. Heart disease affects women of color at higher rates compared to their White counterparts, with Black women facing the highest risk of any group of women and Hispanic women often experiencing heart-related problems earlier in life.
Women’s heart health needs differ from men’s, and factors such as pregnancy, the stress of daily life, and the natural changes in hormones over time influence them. These elements play significant roles in a woman’s heart health.
The American Heart Association (AHA) needs your help to create a world free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Their Mission - To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Join AHA and you can help save lives! Learn Hands-Only CPR to save a life, or join in on the viral American Heart Association’s Watermelon Challenge which has raised over $200,000 for the AHA!
