Maternal health is a preventable American crisis. IT’S TIME TO VOTE LIKE IT.
MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE
21.4
per 100,000 live births
PRE-TERM BIRTH RATING
(MARCH OF DIMES)
MATERNITY CARE DESERT
1.1%
of women 15-44 living in a maternal health desert
MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH
GRADE (MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH POLICY CENTER)
PAID FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE
Time to Care Act (FAMLI). Benefits begin January 2028. Up to 12 weeks per qualifying event, a birthing parent can use medical leave for childbirth recovery and parental leave for bonding as two separate events, for up to 24 weeks total.
EARLY VOTING DAY
October 22nd, 2026
State Level Maternal Health
Governors can take immediate steps to improve local maternal health before, during, and after birth.
BEFORE
Fix Prenatal Care
Cover Mom the Day She Walks In
Let clinics approve Medicaid on the spot.
Let Midwives Practice Independently, and Pay Them Fairly
About half of states still tie a nurse-midwife's ability to practice to a physician's sign-off. In counties with no obstetrician, that limits access to care. Fighting for fair pay for birth workers is part of fighting for maternal health.
DURING
Make All Births Safer
Pay Rural Units to Stay Open
A standby payment keeps a low-volume unit staffed.
Fund Readiness
Training, a stocked delivery cart, or an obstetrician on video can bridge some gaps for hospitals and patients.
AFTER
Support Families for 12 Months
Pass Paid Family and Medical Leave
Fourteen states and Washington, D.C. have paid leave policies that cover fathers, partners, and adoptive parents, creating whole-family support.
Pay for a Home Visit in the First 2 Weeks
A blood pressure check by day 10, a home visit by week two: "Rolling" postpartum care means more than one six-week postpartum visit.
Ask your Governor candidates: What have you already done, and what will you do next, to close these gaps? Progress looks different in every state, but every candidate should have an answer.
