Michigan Breastfeeding Plan: Hereโs what to know
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has released a breastfeeding plan to tackle disparities in initiation and duration among mothers. โWe are committed to closing the breastfeeding disparity gap, removing systemic barriers to breastfeeding and supporting all familyโs ability to meet their breastfeeding goals.โThe Michigan Breastfeeding Plan divides strategies into three stages:AdBefore pregnancyDuring pregnancyAfter pregnancy/postpartum. The state has been working to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration and reduce disparities among racial and ethnic groups. While almost 87% of mothers in Michigan reported ever breastfeeding their baby (initiation), only 58% reported breastfeeding at three months (duration), according to state health officials. โAlthough most infants born in 2017 started breastfeeding (84.1%), only 58.3% of infants were breastfeeding at 6 months.
Detroit woman starts organization aimed at helping vulnerable teen mothers
DETROIT A Detroit mom of four has spent years helping vulnerable teen parents in the city. Rodnesha Ross of the Youth Community Agency says she was determined to give back after so many others helped her achieve success. Her story inspired Ross to start a non-profit called Youth Community Agency. Youth Community Agency helps teen moms complete their GED, connects them to local businesses for internships and helps build skills that can prepare them for college or the workforce. And if there is any young, vulnerable teen mom in Detroit, Ross is ready to help.
Mothers of Black children share why these protests feels different than others
DETROIT The death of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others has put a renewed spotlight on racial injustice. The past couple of days Kimberly Gill has been sharing with viewers a very candid conversation she had with three local women raising black children. This part of the conversation looks at why they say this protest feels different than others and their views on how Detroit is standing up against racism and violence during the protests. Hear from the mothers in the video above -- Links to previous reports are available below
Kimberly Gill has candid conversation with black mothers about having the talk with their children
DETROIT In the moments before George Floyds life was ending, one of the last things he did was call for his mother. And, ultimately, when will I have to have the talk?I sat down with three local mothers who are raising black children to get some advice. Tiffany Douglas, Wendy Baptiste-Johnson and Petra Hurt each have two children ranging in age from 10-24 years old. Theyve all had the talk with their children -- some as early as third grade. Hear from the mothers in the video above.