Supporting Moms and Babies

Special Beginnings^®

We’re working to improve maternal and infant health outcomes by increasing access to care, reducing care gaps and educating and engaging communities.

With our expanded Special Beginnings maternal and infant health initiative, we're collaborating with community organizations and other partners to support women from preconception to postpartum. The initiative prioritizes:

• Increasing access to care, before and after childbirth.
• Promoting quality at birthing locations.
• Investing in organizations addressing social drivers that play a role.
• Supporting efforts to expand the maternal health workforce.

In 2024 we expanded our longstanding efforts to improve maternal and infant health, recognizing that the rates of deaths and other adverse outcomes remain unacceptably high.

“The State of Illinois’ most recent Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Report shows alarming trends in maternal and infant health that require immediate action,” BCBSIL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alvia Siddiqi.

Under the initiative, BCBSIL provided $8 million in grant funding to collaborators selected based on data provided by the State of Illinois indicating areas of critical need.

“This new investment in community partners furthers our work to improve access to care, reduce health care disparities and educate and engage moms and families on a community level across the state,” Siddiqi said.

Our Blue Door Neighborhood Center^SM locations are contributing to the effort with maternal health-related events, including a mother’s support group and a birth equity symposium.

In October, we convened Special Beginnings grantee organizations from across the state with BCBSIL leaders to share experiences and perspectives.

The participants included LaKisha Redditt, the owner of Virtuously B'Earthed Doula Services, which provides free doula training to increase access to trained doulas in maternal health deserts. The grant is helping the organization expand its services into southern Illinois.

"It's important because there's no support for those families," Redditt said. "They're going into the hospitals and not having adequate support, or have doulas sometimes driving an hour or more to support their clients."

Another community partner at the event was the Dovetail Project, which teaches young fathers how to support moms and babies before and after childbirth and provides job skills and resources. "We engage and empower dad to be the greatest advocate for mom and infant," said Sheldon Smith, Dovetail's founder.