Perigee Fund’s multi-year commitment to focus on improving the mental health and well-being of pregnant women and new mothers.

SEATTLE, WA, USA, August 3, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Perigee Fund today announced a multi-year funding commitment focused on improving the mental health of the nation’s mothers during pregnancy and the first year postpartum. This transformational investment brings together three non-profit organizations with expertise in maternal mental health to focus on national advocacy and policy.

Perigee Fund is making awards to 2020Mom, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, and Postpartum Support International. The funding is renewable annually. The goal of this effort is to improve maternal mental health through policy change to support new and expectant mothers who face issues impacting their health and wellness, including the COVID-19 pandemic, rising maternal mortality rates, and racial and ethnic inequities in healthcare.

“We are proud to announce this investment in these organizations that fight for maternal mental health 365 days a year,” said Becca Graves, Perigee Fund Executive Director. “By increasing their individual and collective policy and advocacy capacity, we will increase the attention and resources allocated to the common but often invisible issue of maternal mental health.”

Maternal mental health conditions – primarily anxiety and depression -- are the most common complications of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting up to 1 in 5 birthing people and disproportionately impacting people of color and those who live in poverty. Although these illnesses are relatively easy to diagnose and treat, only a small fraction of those affected receive care. Untreated maternal mental health conditions can have long-term negative impact on mother, baby, and the entire family.

“Maternal mental health has been largely unfunded, particularly work to advance the health systems change necessary to close gaps in maternal mental health,” said Joy Burkhard, Founder and Executive Director of 2020Mom. “This funding will allow us to continue to raise the profile of this important issue and enable us to collectively advance a national agenda.”
Wendy Davis, Executive Director of Postpartum Support International, agrees. “The generosity of the Perigee Fund will accelerate our work of ensuring that all new mothers, partners, and families are informed and screened for perinatal mental health complications and have access to the care and support they need.”

“Simply put, healthy mothers make healthy babies and healthy families,” said Adrienne Griffen, Executive Director of Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance. “We are exceedingly grateful to the Perigee Fund for providing this incredible opportunity to work on national level policies to ensure new mothers and their babies get off to the best start possible.”
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ABOUT PERIGEE FUND. Perigee Fund is a Seattle-based national philanthropic endeavor focused on mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period and early childhood mental health. Perigee envisions communities where all parents and primary caregivers are supported in caring for their children with confidence, competence, and joy. Learn more at www.perigeefund.org.
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Elizabeth Krause
Perigee Fund
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