First Year Cleveland will share $1.8M with local groups to prevent infant deaths

First Year Cleveland will share $1.8M with local groups to prevent infant deaths

by | Apr 10, 2026 | News

Ideastream Public Media | By Taylor Wizner
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.

 
Restore the help for Ohio’s most vulnerable cut from DeWine’s budget proposal: Angela Newman-White

Restore the help for Ohio’s most vulnerable cut from DeWine’s budget proposal: Angela Newman-White

by | Jun 30, 2023 | News


A printout of the Ohio Senate's 9,198-page, two-year state budget plan sits in front of Senate President Matt Huffman, left, on the morning of June 15, hours before the Senate passed its version of the bill. The Senate excised many pro-family and pro-child provisions that Gov. Mike DeWine had proposed in his version of the budget, writes Angela Newman-White in a guest column today. She urges budget conferees and the governor to ensure that additional funding for maternal and infant health, food aid and health care for young children is added back to the budget before it's finalized. (Jeremy Pelzer, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND -- Last fall, when Gov. Mike DeWine stated, “I have a vision for Ohio to be the best place in the nation to have a baby and raise a family,” he spoke to a topic that impacts everyone across the state. The health and well-being of families and children is a shared priority and responsibility for each of us.

There are many reasons to feel cautiously optimistic about the trajectory of Ohio families. Thanks to the hard work of public health organizations and professionals, Ohio has in recent years seen fewer children living in households with a high housing cost burden, fewer children living in high-poverty areas, and fewer teen births.

Mother’s Day is also about our shared responsibility to improve maternal and infant health – especially needed for Black mothers: Angela Newman-White

Mother’s Day is also about our shared responsibility to improve maternal and infant health – especially needed for Black mothers: Angela Newman-White

by | May 14, 2023 | News

Do you work with families before, during, or after the birth of a child? Join your colleagues for training to support you and the families you serve. CEs are pending for social work, nursing, family therapy, and counseling. Please RSVP.

 

 

 

https://firstyearcleveland.org/files/assets/june8flyer.pdf
The Landscape: Working to reduce high rate of infant deaths in Cuyahoga County

The Landscape: Working to reduce high rate of infant deaths in Cuyahoga County

by | Jan 24, 2023 | News

Angela Newman-White was recently named executive director of First Year Cleveland, a public-private partnership that works to lower Cuyahoga County's high rate of infant mortality, especially among Black mothers. Newman-White joined The Landscape to discuss the factors responsible for the high rate, and how First Year Cleveland, in partnership with other organizations, is working to reduce the number of deaths through a holistic approach to health.

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