It’s a real tragedy in our community. But this is not going to take billions and billions and billions of dollars to fix. It’s going to take a little support from the community, all of us being on the same page and all of the resources that are out there now being targeted to the things that really work, and supporting moms, instead of blaming them.
In reality, Black infant mortality in St. Louis is a complex social, economic, environmental, educational and societal problem, and it requires more than just a health solution. Our region’s transportation, housing, employers, schools and social services all impact this problem, and need to be part of the solution.
FLOURISH is different because we are following a collective impact model, which relies on people across sectors of the community to come together in a new way to solve this complex challenge by:
- Creating shared understanding of infant mortality as more than a health issue.
- Addressing the racial disparities in birth outcomes in our region.
- Centering community members most impacted by these challenges to help lead our solutions.
- Focusing on changing systems and policies that influence conditions in our community that have a direct impact on Black infant mortality in St. Louis.
Hear from our community leaders
Watch the video above to learn more about our philosophy of community leadership.
Our Journey So Far
We have spent the past few years laying a strong foundation by:
- Listening to families and communities most impacted by poverty and lack of resources needed to raise a healthy family.
- Recruiting volunteers from St. Louis’ education, faith, business and health care industries, as well as parents, to serve on our initial Cabinet and identify the areas where we believe we can make the greatest impact in reducing infant mortality.
- Building public and civic awareness of infant mortality in St. Louis through media coverage, social media and an educational website.
- Launching action teams that are closely analyzing issues and identifying solutions that will start making a real difference in the most critical areas for infant mortality in St. Louis, including prenatal care, transportation access and safe sleep.
- Analyzing how racial inequities influence infant mortality by establishing a goal for zero racial disparities in infant mortality by 2033.
- Establishing a Community Leaders Cabinet to determine our four key priorities, identify the solutions that can make the biggest impact, and decide how we will allocate funding to organizations that can address those priorities.
- Launching a community-led investment strategy in which a Community Review Committee awards grants to organizations that are implementing projects to improve the health of Black moms, babies and families.
FLOURISH still has many years of hard work ahead of us to make real changes in St. Louis, but we are inspired by the enthusiasm and collaboration we have seen so far. Join us on the journey.
Our Path to Progress for St. Louis
Join us on the journey.
After talking with the community and analyzing local data on infant mortality, FLOURISH established our shared agenda and plan to create lasting changes in our community. Our Path to Progress for St. Louis lays out the steps we must take to reduce infant mortality in our region.
Find out how you can join us on this journey.
