What is the Maternal Health Innovation Project?
The Family and Child Health division received grant funding (Maternal Health Innovation Grant) to support work across sectors to improve the health and well-being of birthing people. These efforts focus on better coordination of care, using data to guide improvements, and making services accessible for everyone.
Coming Soon: the Maternal Health Strategic Planning Summit recap and resources.
The Vermont Department of Health’s Division of Family and Child Health (FCH) invites partners from across the maternal health system—clinicians, advocates, community leaders, and individuals with lived experience—to join a collaborative planning process to improve maternal health across Vermont. This work, supported by the federal Maternal Health Innovation (MHI) Grant, will create and implement Vermont’s first Maternal Health Strategic Plan. If you or your organization supports pregnant or postpartum Vermonters in any way, we want you at the table.
The Vermont Department of Health, Division of Family and Child Health (FCH), is pleased to invite you to participate in Vermont’s Maternal Health Strategic Planning process. This collaborative statewide initiative aims to improve maternal health outcomes, reduce disparities, and promote equitable, high-quality care for all Vermonters during the perinatal period (i.e., pregnancy and postpartum periods).
Rooted in a commitment to partnership, FCH will convene a wide range of people with a connection to the maternal health space. This group will include clinical providers, public health professionals, doulas and midwives, mental health specialists, housing and social service organizations, policy advocates, and most importantly, individuals with lived experience. Together, we will identify shared priorities and develop strategies to improve maternal health across the state.
The Vermont Maternal Health Innovation Grant supports this process. This federal initiative funds systems-level innovation, workforce development, and community-based care models to reduce maternal mortality (death) and severe maternal morbidity (illness). Through this process, the Maternal Health Task Force will serve as a formal advisory body that informs the creation and implementation of Vermont’s first Maternal Health Strategic Plan. This plan will align ongoing efforts, guide future directions, and elevate community voices in policymaking.
We are seeking participation from any organization that touches maternal and perinatal health in Vermont and for Vermonters, including but not limited to:
• Hospitals, birth centers, and clinics
• Behavioral health and substance use providers
• Doulas, midwives, and lactation consultants
• Home visiting and family support programs
• Housing, transportation, and nutrition services
• BIPOC advocacy and health equity organizations
• Policy, academic, and research partners
• People with lived experience
We recognize the varied capacities of our partners. That’s why we’re offering different levels of participation: from staying informed via email updates to joining working groups or serving as core task force members. Please fill out this brief interest survey to tell us about your preferred level of involvement. You can change your level of engagement at any point as your availability or priorities shift.
Stay tuned for the summit recap and resources coming soon.
BIPOC Birthing Study: Centering lived experiences and advancing maternal health equity in Vermont, November, 2025
Meeting recording from 10/13/2025: Maternal Health Strategic Plan Community Feedback
PowerPoint slide deck from the MHI strategic planning kickoff meetings.
BIPOC Birthing Study Report: Centering lived experiences and advancing maternal health equity in Vermont, November, 2025
Birth Outcomes for Vermonters with Substance Use Disorder Report: A Qualitative study to understand health outcomes for mothers and birthing people across Vermont with substance use disorders
The Vermont Department of Health and the Agency of Human Services have convened a new statewide task force dedicated to the future of rural obstetrical (OB) care in Vermont. This group of leaders is working to shape real, lasting solutions that will build strategies to ensure stability, expand patient options, and secure long-term sustainability. By looking closely at the current Vermont landscape, as well as efforts by other states, we will look to:
- Review and analyze data related to OB care in Vermont
- Identify what’s working well, and pinpoint current and potential gaps in care
- Explore the financial stress on OB units, better understand billing optimization for inpatient birth units, and explore alternative financing strategies in use by other states
- Examine how hospital OB closures impact community-based services, and build stronger, more cohesive linkages between them
The Maternal Health Innovation (MHI) team in Family and Child Health (FCH) at the Health Department and the Perinatal Quality Collaborative (PQC-VT) solicited input from perinatal health voices across the state over the past year and facilitated forums to address pressing issues in obstetrical care and access to community-based services. The need for a Rural Obstetrical Task Force was identified through this effort. The Vermont Statewide Obstetrical Task Force will align activities with the existing MHI Task Force and Regional PQCs and coordinate closely to address shared goals and strategies.
This is a public meeting; all are welcome to join in to listen. There will be dedicated time during each meeting for any member of the public to weigh in, as well as additional opportunities to provide input and participate in the process.
First meeting: Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m
Statewide Obstetrical Taskforce Meeting-Join Microsoft Teams