About Maternity Support Services (MSS), Racial Equity, & Housing Instability

Published: January 28, 2021

Policy brief that outlines the importance of Maternity Support Services in Washington State and its intersection with racial equity and housing instability. A unique program unlike other programs across the country, MSS provides preventative health and education services to help individuals have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. MSS also offers opportunities to address racial inequities experienced by pregnant individuals and aligns well with community and provider recommendations on how to improve the health of women of color and their babies. Further, there are clear connections between homelessness and maternal health. Findings from Building Changes’ Perinatal Housing Grant evaluation demonstrate that MSS can be used to help prevent homelessness and improve housing stability, especially for women of color.

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