Charlotte program for those pregnant in jail opens soon to moms, new babies
During any given month in Mecklenburg County, there are usually between two and three pregnant people in the jail, according to Sheriff Garry McFadden. A nonprofit partnering with the jail hopes to pair them with nurses to provide care.
Care Ring, which provides free community medical care, began a partnership with the jail to provide aid to expectant mothers last fall, said Tchernavia Montgomery the organization’s executive director.
Through this program the organization will provide prenatal and infant care to moms and their babies until the child turns 2, at no cost to the parent, even if they are out of jail by then.
Montgomery said their program, and the care they provide with nurse-family partnerships, is on the front lines of maternal child health, especially for Black women.
Nationally, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“In North Carolina, Black women are 46% more likely to experience a pre-term birth, and here in Mecklenburg County, Black babies are five times more likely to die in their first year of life as compared to other races,” Montgomery said. “So we know that something is missing. And what we’re doing with our programming here is intentionally protecting what should be the most joyful and momentous occasion of a woman’s life.”
McFadden said there were two pregnant people in the jail as of April 26. Statewide, there were 55 pregnant people in prison as of April 22, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
At Care Ring, its three main goals are to improve maternal health, improve the child’s health and development, and to bolster the economic self sufficiency of the family.
“This is a registered nurse that’s caring for this family,” Montgomery said. “And our goal is to try to break that cycle of generational poverty, and to improve the quality of life outcomes for women and their children, particularly for women of color.”
Nurses aim to help moms deliver at a healthy birth weight and ensure that they have the opportunity to plan for another pregnancy. They also hope to connect the mom and child to a primary care doctor and to ensure they receive all of their visits prenatally, perinatally and postpartum.
Nurses also help mothers initiate breastfeeding, understand the importance of exercise and a healthy diet, and screen for child development as well as depression in the mother.
“We are supporting mom with the resources that she needs in order to complete her high school diploma, or GED or if she wants to work,” Montgomery said. “And to make sure that children have an opportunity to have that healthy start.”
Because of the pandemic, the program had a rough start, and after a rise in cases, Montgomery said they were unable to continue with care in the jail. Montgomery said the program does not have any patients participating now, but they anticipate receiving referrals for the individuals the sheriff mentioned in the coming week.
“When our first referrals were received and initial visits completed, we were halted from further engagement by a new COVID surge,” Montgomery said. “But we hope that with the virus continuing to diminish, we’ll have better fortune with our newly referred.”
