Nurture KC's July 2023 Update

July 2023 Update

June 27, 2023 marked the implementation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, (PWFA) a decade-long effort to accommodate pregnant women in the workplace. Employers with 15 or more employees will be required to make reasonable adaptations during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum periods for pregnant employees. Such changes may include: access to drinking water, more breaks, closer parking, flexible and reasonable work hours, appropriately sized uniforms, reduced standing, elimination of heavy lifting and exposure to chemicals to name a few. The onus for implementation falls on the employer, a reversal from former laws that required employees to prove need.

Not only will this policy help all working pregnant women, it should also begin to close the health equity gap that exists for Black and Brown mothers who disproportionately work at low-paying, laborious jobs. In addition to the physical modifications, the new law also recognizes the need for time to attend health visits as well as time off in the postpartum period without threat of job loss.

The PWFA is a meaningful first step in recognizing the needs of women in the workplace and adapting the workplace to the women rather than forcing women to fit into a model that is not healthy for them or their babies. This is the kind of broad, systems support that is vital to improving the lives of families. Policies like PWFA complement the one-on-one supports that we provide at Nurture KC to facilitate better outcomes for those who are most vulnerable.

Tracy Russell

Executive Director, Nurture KC

Check Out Our Podcast

It's here! You can watch Nurture KC's second podcast: How Our Healthy Start Program Helps Families. This program has grown and evolved to meet the needs of our families.

Learn about the services we offer and personal success stories, what sets Healthy Start apart, how we measure success, what a typical day looks like for a community health worker and more. Some highlights include:

Tracy Russell, Executive Director, sharing how Healthy Start families defy the infant and maternal mortality rates (at the 23:26 timestamp at the bottom of the video).

Marcela Metcalf, Lead Community Health Worker, telling the story of a mother who is now becoming a doula to help other moms (at the 20:36 timestamp).

Shannon Williams, Healthy Start Program Director, discussing our Mother's Voice Support Group (at the 11:50 timestamp).

The home for all our podcasts is at nurturekc.org/news-events/quarterly-podcasts.

Watch Annual Meeting Replay

If you missed our Annual Meeting last month, you can watch the replay on our Members page at nurturekc.org. The focus was “Maternal R&R: Reproductive Rights.” Our keynote speakers both discussed fighting for access for women.

Ashley All, from Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, shared how she advocated for reproductive freedom in Kansas after Roe vs. Wade was overturned last year. Kansas was the first state to hold a vote on abortion rights just 40 days after the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal, and the country was watching. In the end, Kansas voters rejected an effort to remove abortion protections from the state's constitution. To see how a single volunteer made an impact and moved the needle for women's rights, check out Ashley's remarks at the 37:42 timestamp at the bottom of the video.

Michelle Trupiano, from the Missouri Family Health Council, discussed reproductive and sexual health equity in Missouri. She works with health centers throughout Missouri to deliver family planning services to anyone who needs access, including those who are uninsured. The non-profit just launched the freeEC campaign on June 1. Hear Michelle's remarks about the campaign at the 59:50 timestamp on the replay.

The meeting also featured Nurture KC news and updates by Tracy Russell, Executive Director, and two panels on our unique services for mothers through our Healthy Start Program:

Doula Services: We provide our mothers with free doula services through a contract with two local doulas. One of our doublas, Lizet Ansaldo with Esperanza Birth, shared her experience supporting our Spanish-speaking moms as she talked with Shannon Williams, our Healthy Start Director.

Mother's Voice Support Group: This program is available free-of-charge for our moms. The sessions are conducted in both English and Spanish and are led by, respectively, Tamela Ross of The Healing Corner KC and Gloria Mendiburu of Corazones Plenos. Both shared their insights.

The event rounded out with Cindy Lamb, from The Family Conservancy, discussing about moving beyond depression; Murad Campbell, from Morningstar Mobile Assessments, sharing a father's perspective; and Amber Smith with our call to action to listen to Black women in healthcare settings.