This June, the Massachusetts House passed an omnibus maternal health bill that would truly change the landscape in the Commonwealth -- allowing for Certified Professional Midwife licensure and coverage, removing regulatory barriers for operating birth centers, requiring Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder (PMAD) screening, and more.

BUT, we're not done until the bill passes the Senate. AND, to ensure comprehensive support for new parents, we need to add the Moms Matter Act.

The Moms Matter Act would expand and diversify the perinatal (during pregnancy and up to a year after birth) mental health workforce, and invest in community-based programs that support new parents -- such as support groups, resources for parents facing pregnancy and infant loss, and home visiting programs -- particularly in historically marginalized communities.

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) impact at least 20% of moms, but are widely underdiagnosed and untreated. BIPOC and low-income mothers are both more likely to experience PMADs and less likely to receive care. The new screening provisions in the House maternal health bill MUST be matched with services for parents who need them, through the Moms Matter Act.

We need to ACT NOW for maternal health and mental health in Massachusetts. Join us in writing to your State Senator and asking them to take up maternal health bill TODAY, and add the Moms Matter Act!

Thank you so much for taking the time to make your voice heard!

--The Massachusetts Mind the Gap Steering Committee

Jessie Colbert, Executive Director, Mass. PPD Fund
Stephanie Crawford, M.Ed, Founder, Propa City Community Outreach
Ashley C. Healy, Esq.

Amanda Hollis Garaffo, Esq.
Jenise Katalina, MSW, LICSW, Founder, Rise Leadership and Coaching, LLC, Leadership Team, Women of
Color Health Equity Collective
Kerry McCarthy, Cape & Islands Perinatal Wellness Alliance
Jessica Paulino, The EMA Project
Dr. Jo-Anna Rorie, CNM, MSN, MPH, FACM, PhD, Nurse Coordinator, Bridges to Moms, Board Member, Bay State Birth
Chloe Schwartz, MPH, Director, Maternal Infant Health, March of Dimes Boston/New England Market
Tiffany Vassell, RN, Founder, Nurses for Black Maternal Health and Equity Organization, Neighborhood Birth Center