by First Year Cleveland | Apr 22, 2026 | News
by First Year Cleveland | Apr 22, 2026 | FYC News and Post
BY ARAHG JAQUAY
Growing Up, I Experienced First-hand The Challenges Families In Poverty Face. I Always New I Wanted A Career That Involved Helping People,” Says Firstyearcleveland(Fyc)executive Director Angela Newman-white. First Year Cleveland Is A Nonprofit Housed At The Jack, Joseph And Morton Mandel School Of Applied Social Sciences At Case Western Reserve University (Cwru) Dedicated To Ensuring All Babies Celebrate Their Fire Birthdays. And Although Fyc Doesn’t Provide Any Direct Services, They Support And Coordinate Services Among Numerous Organizations WHO Work Directly With Pregnant Women In Cuyahoga County, Including Moms- First, Birthing Beautiful Communities, Centering Pregnancy And Others. Newman-white Started Her Career Working With Children Transitioning From Group Homes Into Independent Living. Then She Was A Case Manager At Harvard Community Services Center Working With Momsfirst, A City Of Cleveland Program Designed To Reduce Infant Mortality And Support Healthy Preps& Ies By Pairing Pregnant Women With Community Healthworkers Until Their Babynms Is Months Old. 1 Was A Systems Thinker And I Was Able To Turn Harvard Community Services Center Into A Top-performing Neighborhood Center And Was Shortly Offered An Administrative Position In The Cleveland Dept Of Public Health.” After That, Newman-white Went To The Cuyahoga County Board Ofhealth Where She Ultimately Had Responsibility For Nine
Lialpmgyl From Maternal And Child Htrosadoliscent Sexual Health In 2015 When Infant Mortality Rates In Cuyahoga County Soared To Is Per 1.000 Live Births. Civic Leaders Cornered To See What Could Be Done About It To Simplify And Persoralize The Statistics Around Infant Matzlay.nevasan-whienaa.-on Average. 100-1rifaatilialoseteirbgeninctrhom County Ever!: Year-forozetely. Neuman-white Las At The Table In 2015. ‘1 Winery Vocal Abou Forming A Separate Any/tan Focused On Advocacy. Policy And-fandrais-iq Because The Dfrect Service Organizations Needed Help In Their Etas To !inman The &antes They Sewed.” Sad Fyc Vas Born It Was Orinsally Located At Cla-sschool Of Bu In 2022 Moved To Thelopytiat School_ Neuman-ulnte Was Recruited To To Its Barque Emendive Dirmta. Wheanked Ntyeayeteges Rate Ofirfrea Monalny Is Higher Than De STEM Of Ohio’s And The Atonal Maze. Newman-white Explains Pan Of The Answer Is Poverty And Poor Maternal Health The Root Causes Of Ten Re Systemic And Hstorical ‘pregnancy An Be Very Isolviog” And This Isolation Is Pancularlyptualen Ocetnnttes Nithte Highest Amount Of Prep= Nor= Needing Support. Red-lining Lending Practices That Date To Tte 1920s Had An Nolanng Effect On Acre Swats Of The City That Persist To This Day. This Imitation Vas Macerteted By The Ictemate Otem Tat Demolished Or Bisected Ate Neintorhooth Wramo.ln To Reds.. Intramonalityratm.
Angela Newman-white. Executive Director Of First Year Cleveland Speaks At Infant Vitality Day 2025. That Fyc Hosts With Partners Throughout Ohio
Social Support Systems, Economic Stability And Programs That Break Down Isolation Neuman-white Says. ONE Of Fyc’s Research Programs Supported Pregnant Women With Housing, Food And Transportation For Medical Care For The Duration Of Their Pregnancies. Out Of 21 Births, 18 Went To Full-term. Since Premature Birth Is A Leading Cause Of Infant Mortality, Carrying To Term Is Critical. Other Programs, Including Centering Pregnancy; Where Women Go To Medical Appointments In A Group Have Also Been Successful. But Group Appointments Aren’t For Everyone And Each Health Education Session Ending With An Appointment With A Clinician Lasts Two Hours. Not Everyone An Take Off Work That Length Of Time For A Doctor’s Visit. “We Meet People Where They Are And Say ‘what Do You Need?'” Then Fyc And Its Partners Help Pregnant Women Get It, Including Small Grants For Critical Short-term Needs Such As Diapers, Car Seats And Utility As- Sistance. Long-term Investments From Birthing Beautiful Communities Can Provide Doulas To Accompany Pregnant Women To All Their Medical Appointments And Be There During The Birthing Process If Desired. That Kind Of Support Can Be Invaluable To Navigating Complex Bureaucracies And Interpreting Medical Information And Directions. And While High Infant Mortality Rates Here Tend To Be Centered In Cleveland And Inner-ring Suburbs On The East Side, It’s A Community-wide And National Problem. People Lamenting America’s Low-birth Rates Might Not See The Connection Between Reduc- ING Infant Mortality And National Economic Viability, But Economists Know Too Well The Results Of A Heavily-aging Society With Too Few Workers Paying Into Social Security To Support Retirees (See Japan.) Increasing Infant Survival And Thriving Families Is Also A National Defense Issue As Healthy Families Produce Our Fighting Forces And Military Leadership. In The Case Of Healthy Pregnancies Resulting In Healthy Babies, An Ounce Of Prevention Is Worth A Pound Of Cure. Newman white Notes There Are Enormous Expenses Associated With Premature Births. “On Average, Delivering Vaginally A Full-term, Healthy Baby With Little To No Intervention In Cuyahoga County Costs Around $5,000-$10,000. A Cesarean Can Cost $7,000-$32,000. The Cost Of Delivering Premature Infants Is Astronomically Higher. ‘nicu Stays | Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Stays Can Average $2,800-$6,500 Per Day!” Says Newman-white. Ultimately, All Health-care Consumers Share Some Of That Cost, Not To Mention The Incredible Debt Burden Nicu Stays Impose On Young Families, Some Of Whom Leave The Hospital Without A Child. While Fyc And Its Direct-service Partners In Cuyahoga County Are Providing Vital Services To Families, Newman-white Says The Real Solution Is Policies That Prioritize Pregnant Women At The State And Federal Level. Most Other Developed Countries Have Paid-leave Policies For New Parents. And While Existing Legislation Does Prioritize Other Groups Such As Veterans And The Disabled (As Is Appropriate In Any Developed Society), There Are Few Legislative Supports For Pregnant Women And Families, Including In Ohio. That’s Why Fyc Spends Time Advocating For Legislation That Can Take A Systemic Approach To Supporting Pregnant Women And Families. Newman-white Wants Current’s Readers To Know “There’s An Opportunity To Be Actively Involved In The Solution Of Supporting Women And Babies In Cuyahoga County.” She Urges People To Go Fyc’s Website And Sign Up For Their Newsletter. “Babies Are Dying Here And Most Of These Deaths Are Preventable.” Please See Www.firstyearcleveland.org For More Information.
by First Year Cleveland | Apr 10, 2026 | News
Published March 3, 2026 at 4:52 PM EST
Local organizations are using grants to combat stubbornly high infant mortality rates in Cuyahoga County.
First Year Cleveland, a nonprofit focused on maternal and children’s health, will use $1.8 million from the Ohio Department of Children and Youth to support families and tackle persistently high infant mortality rates in Cuyahoga County.
Over the next 18 months, the funding will be distributed to 10 community and faith-based organizations to support prenatal education and provide families with direct assistance for basic needs such as food, transportation and rent.
"Post-COVID, a lot of families live in isolation and are getting information from social media that’s not always accurate," said Angela Newman-White, executive director of First Year Cleveland. "Our goal is to make sure that people know supports are available."
Newman-White said giving funds directly to local organizations makes it easier for families to access help without navigating multiple systems.
"Instead of referring someone to a food bank, (families) can tell the person they need food and that person can give it to them," she said. "We’re eliminating extra steps families have to take to secure resources."
The initiative comes as Cuyahoga County continues to face alarming infant mortality rates. Between 2022 and 2024, roughly eight of every 1,000 babies died before their first birthdays. Black infants remain at the highest risk, with a death rate more than three times that of white infants, while Hispanic infant mortality has recently begun to climb, according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. Poverty and maternal health are major contributing factors, officials said.
The organizations set to receive funding include Birthing Beautiful Communities, Lexington Bell Community Center, Pregnant with Possibilities, Neighborhood Leadership Institute, Neighborhood Family Practice, the Progressive Baptist Association, Village of Healing and Project Milk Mission.
"Having this network is number one," Newman-White said. "The other piece that is crucial with this funding is this ability to provide housing stability, transportation and nutrition."
First Year Cleveland uses research and community input to identify needs and coordinate support for families during pregnancy and early parenthood. The nonprofit is based out of Case Western Reserve University’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.
by First Year Cleveland | Aug 12, 2023 | Press Release
Posted June 12, 2020 in Press Releases
OWN provides emotional and mental support to women and men who are experiencing pregnancy, infant loss, and early stages of parenting
CLEVELAND - As part of the ongoing efforts to raise awareness regarding infant mortality rates in Black communities, and racial disparities within maternal healthcare, the First Year Cleveland (FYC) Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Committee will launch the Our Wellness Network (OWN) during a press conference to be held June 18, 2020 at 10 am via a Zoom virtual event.
The press conference has concluded. If you weren't able to participate, you may view it here.
Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Shontel Brown and City of Cleveland Councilman Blaine Griffin, who have been active with FYC PAIL’s planning and community outreach efforts, will speak at the event.
The press conference will highlight the gaps in service for the Black community, the importance of seeking mental health support, and discuss the value of having Our Wellness Network (OWN) comprised of Black therapists, parents, and lay leaders, available to help Black families who have experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth or an infant death situation.
OWN support services will also be available to those who may be experiencing stress or depression during pregnancy, birth, or parenting stages.
“Cuyahoga County’s infant mortality rates among the Black community are some of the highest in the United States,” said Tracy L. Carter, MHSA, co-chair of the First Year Cleveland Pregnancy and Infant Loss Committee. “Especially now, during the current climate of our world, the launch of OWN is timely and relevant for Black families who are experiencing pregnancy and infant loss, or who need emotional support during and after pregnancy. Through OWN, we hope to provide Black community members and others with the support they need to manage depression, anxiety and stress before, during and even after pregnancy in an effort to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.”
If you are interested in attending the Zoom Press Conference, please contact Katrice D. Cain, MA, Racial Disparities & Health Equity Program Director, First Year Cleveland, 216-368-5017 or kdc37@case.edu
For more information regarding Case Western Reserve University First Year Cleveland visit firstyearcleveland.org and for more information regarding FYC PAIL or OWN visit pailconnect.org.
by First Year Cleveland | Aug 4, 2023 | FYC News and Post
Cuyahoga County has one of the highest rates of prenatal care in the state — yet, this area also has one of the worst infant mortality rates, and racial disparities contribute to this alarming statistic.
Many believe that racial disparities in infant mortality only affect women living in poverty, those with limited education and teenagers. However, these disparities are found through all socioeconomic statuses and age groups. In fact, in the past 10 years, only four percent of infants who died were born to teenage mothers.
The majority of premature deaths in Cuyahoga County are African American babies. Most of these infants’ mothers have significant interaction with medical providers, many via private insurance and self-pay rather than Medicaid. According to Dr. Arthur James of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, one must go as far back as 1975 to find a white infant mortality rate comparable to the 2015 African American rate.
For years, researchers and doctors have been debating the topic of racial disparities in health care. They still struggle to find why African American women in America, no matter their age or socioeconomic status, are more likely to suffer an infant loss.
Most recently, there is a common agreement that the everyday stressors of being an African American woman contribute heavily to these heartbreaking outcomes. This excess stress comes from unavoidable daily occurrences such as implicit bias and structural racism.
Structural racism is deeply embedded into American society and is a potent factor that leads to inequities in the health care system. It goes hand in hand with implicit bias. Implicit bias is an attitude or a stereotype that affects your understanding, actions and decisions unconsciously. Everyone has implicit bias, whether they know it or not.
Unfortunately, implicit bias can affect the way that providers care for their patients — and this factor can contribute to many statistics that illustrate the issue.
Racial disparities in health care affect African Americans of every socioeconomic level.
So, what can we all do to help mitigate the effects of implicit bias on pregnancy and childbirth?
Be aware of your own implicit bias. Implicit biases don’t necessarily always align with our own beliefs or values — they are learned and out of our control. However, these biases are completely susceptible to change.
Project Implicit is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to educate people on their own implicit bias. They’ve created different tests for subjects like racial bias, gender bias, disability bias and many more. Take a few minutes out of your day and take a test to determine your biases. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/selectatest.html
Don't stop there. After you take the test, find out what you can do to change those biases. Speak up. Share posts like this with family and friends. Connect with organizations like First Year Cleveland on social media, and discuss topics such as structural racism and implicit bias.
Racial disparities are all too relevant in the lives of pregnant women and their infants in our county — however, by taking steps and getting involved, we can make a difference.
