MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin Community Services (WCS) has received a two-year maternal health grant from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation.

What You Need To Know

  • Wisconsin Community Services (WCS) has received a two-year maternal health grant from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation

  • The grant is aimed at preventing pregnancy-related deaths and improving maternal health outcomes for pregnant women and new moms in Milwaukee

  • Wisconsin has one of the highest mortality rates for Black infants in the United States, according to Anthem

The announcement marks the beginning of Black Maternal Health Week, recognized each year from April 11 to April 17.

The grant is aimed at preventing pregnancy-related deaths and improving maternal health outcomes for pregnant women and new moms in Milwaukee.

Wisconsin has one of the highest mortality rates for Black infants in the United States, according to Anthem. 

The funding will also support WCS's Hub & Spoke Health Home Maternal Health Improvement Project. Through this program, a team provides one-on-one recovery services for pregnant women and for women with "children with substance use needs" in Milwaukee County. Teams also connect women with other needed services and resources. 

“Black infants in Wisconsin are 70% more likely to be born prematurely than their white counterparts. In the most recent Milwaukee Community Health Assessment, data shows the infant mortality rate for Black babies is 2.5x higher than that of white babies. We need to commit to improving that disparity, and the work that WCS will be doing with the Maternal Health Improvement Project will support that commitment,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said in a press release.

Officials said that 150 local moms are expected to benefit from this program.

“As part of the WCS mission of creating innovative opportunities to overcome adversity, WCS has a strong commitment to supporting people as they begin and continue their substance use recovery,” Clarence Johnson the WCS president and CEO stated in a press release. “This includes employing peer specialists who have lived the experience of substance use recovery, providing comprehensive training, and utilizing their experiences to engage people in care and services who are beginning their journey to recovery. The WCS Maternal Health Improvement Project is a wonderful example of partnership to further serve pregnant women and new mothers in Milwaukee County.” 

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