In Newark on Thursday, health experts and elected officials gathered for the Cradle Project Conference to share strategies and ideas for improving outcomes for expectant mothers and for children in New Jersey’s largest city.
Said Newark Ras Baraka: “We need to make sure our pregnant mothers have access to healthcare. That they have access to primary care physicians. That they have access to all kinds of folks that are around them, and able to make sure that they get the vitamins that we take for granted, the attention they’re supposed to get, the information that they’re supposed to get.”
“I’m a staunch believer that all expectant mothers and their families should be equipped with necessary tools to advocate for themselves,” added Gabrielle Thomas, policy advisor to the mayor. “Our health care system must ensure that their concerns receive the attention they deserve. An informed expecting mother is the bedrock of a thriving community.”
Baraka also cited the importance of a child’s educational opportunity. Results of the state’s most student assessments revealed many students are still struggling with learning loss since the pandemic, with only half of students in grades 3 through 9 meeting proficiency levels in English language arts.
“When we open up the data, we realize that also COVID had impacted literacy scores, but it also took another problem that we were struggling with, very specifically Black mothers,” said Dr. Sharnee Brown, the mayor’s chief education officer.
