children – Starting Early

May 30, 2025June 2, 2025

The Doula Difference

👋 The first time I came across the concept of weathering — how the cumulative stress of racism ages the bodies and endangers the health of mothers and babies of color — I was stunned. It was a 2018 article in the New York Times Magazine by Linda Villarosa explaining something no medical chart could: why Black women, regardless of income or education, face some of the worst maternal health outcomes in the country.

At the Burke Foundation, one of our responses was to invest in community doulas who compassionately guide birthing families through a complex and often unwelcoming system. What we’ve seen from partnerships with community doulas is nothing short of extraordinary.

April 25, 2025April 26, 2025

Paid leave works for families

👋 Especially in the earliest days, parenthood is a rollercoaster. There’s learning, bonding, worrying, feeding, changing — all while trying to grab a few precious hours of sleep.

During those early weeks with my newborn son, I had a moment of clarity: The health of a parent, especially a mother, is deeply connected to the support systems around her. I was fortunate to have 12 weeks of paid leave through my employer. But not everyone is so lucky — 1 in 4 women in the U.S. return to work within just 2 weeks of giving birth, often because they can’t afford to stay home longer.

March 21, 2025March 21, 2025

🛡️ Protecting Medicaid – A lifeline for families

👋 The news from Washington is disheartening: Nearly 2 million New Jerseyans stand to lose essential medical services if cuts to Medicaid federal funding being discussed take place.

Among those whose health and well-being would be severely threatened are the mothers and babies who the Burke Foundation and our many partners in the nonprofit community, government, and elsewhere support through efforts aimed at making sure all families can provide the nurturing and care needed to promote lifelong well-being.

Medicaid enables families that struggle to make ends meet — including new mothers, children, seniors, and people with disabilities — to obtain critical medical care.