#UMNMCH student Kara Cowell (she/her/hers, MPH 2026) wrote this reflection on how her work co-leading the Minnesota Menstrual Equity Toolkit Project has connected her previous policy and health research work to public health practice. Through her leadership across organizations including the Minnesota Menstrual Equity Coalition, PERIOD, Honest Sex Ed Minnesota, and the Women’s Foundation of […]
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Student Spotlight: How did Ruth Dele-Oni’s Passions Inform her Hennepin County Internship?
#UMNMCH student Ruth Dele-Oni (MPH 2026) reflects on how her deployment with Hennepin County’s Baby Tracks Team has enabled critical research regarding vaccine hesitancy among the Somali population in Minnesota. In this piece, Ruth shares her drive for closing BIPOC maternal and child health (MCH) equity gaps. My journey to the MCH MPH Program was […]
Webinar: Minnesota’s Healthy Start Act
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 | 12:00-1:00pm CT | Via Zoom Minnesota passed the landmark Healthy Start Act (HSA) in 2021, allowing the state’s Commissioner of Corrections to conditionally release sentenced, pregnant and postpartum people into community-based alternatives for the duration of the pregnancy and up to one year postpartum. This webinar will summarize a recent evaluation […]
Community-Engaged, Reproductive Health Research Within the Carceral System: Reflections & Lessons Learned
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 | 11:00am-12:30pm CT | Via Zoom Individuals with criminal legal system involvement have often been systematically excluded from the process of conducting research. Panelists will discuss their involvement in community-engaged research projects at the intersection of the criminal legal system and reproductive health, as researchers, participants and university instructors. Participants will learn […]
Reproductive Health Care Legislation For Incarcerated People
From the National University-Based Collaborative on Justice-Involved Women & Children (JIWC) and Advocacy and Research on Reproductive Wellness of Incarcerated People (AARWIP) August 2024 Executive Summary: This table summarizes the most recent state-level legislation expanding or improving access to reproductive health care for incarcerated people, which includes limits to shackling during pregnancy and postpartum, provision […]
Little Eyes, Big Eyes Awareness Campaign
Spread the Word! VHMN has created awareness materials to share and promote vision health for Minnesota Native American communities through: Find more vision health resources for… (coming soon) Host a Screening Event: The Little Eyes, Big Eyes Project aids Native-serving health clinics and community organizations to increase vision screenings and access to eye care. We […]
JIWC RA
1) SUPPORT JIWC EFFORTS (~6 hrs/wk)
JIWC Community Spotlight: Alicia Roach
Alicia Roach, Doula and Certified Breastfeeding Educator, Birthing with Dignity Doula Services Alicia Roach is a doula and certified breastfeeding educator based in Portland, Oregon. She promotes safe, supportive, and empowering birthing experiences for her clients. Alicia was formerly incarcerated while pregnant and her firsthand experience inspired her to testify for a bill establishing a […]
JIWC Community Spotlight: The Lotus Alliance
The Lotus Alliance is a prison doula project in Columbia, South Carolina. The project’s co-directors, Kaylin Smith and Sadie Whitehead, work in coalition with other doulas, medical students and doctors to provide support in the Camille Graham Correctional Institution throughout pregnancy, labor and postpartum. Sadie and Kaylin were instrumental in pushing forward an anti-shackling bill […]
Abortion Access for Incarcerated People in the U.S.
A State Policy Brief from the National University-Based Collaborative on Justice-Involved Women & Children (JIWC) May 2023 Download PDF Executive Summary: Without the constitutional protection of abortion, access is entirely dependent on state laws. Before Roe was overturned, only 4 U.S. states had laws on abortion for incarcerated people in the U.S. In the last […]
Breastfeeding Support for Incarcerated People in the U.S.
A State Policy Brief from the national JIWC April 2023
Alternatives to Incarceration for Pregnant & Postpartum People: A Summary of State & Federal Laws
A State Policy Brief from the National JIWC March 2023
Spotlight on the Center’s Vision Health Work
The Center is proud to be a part of the Minnesota Vision Health Task Force, which works to improve vision and eye health in young children. This work is led by Minneapolis Public Schools’ Office of Early Childhood Education, and receives some support through Center staff and student technical assistance. Select MCH Student and Alumni […]
Job Boards & Financial Aid
For UMN MCH Alumni Good luck on your job search!
A Statement from the MCH Program and the Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health at the UMN School of Public Health on the Supreme Court’s Decision on Dobbs vs Jackson Women’s Health Organization
The Supreme Court’s final majority decision on June 24, 2022, overturning federal rights to abortion, is a direct injury to the health and wellbeing of families, communities, and our society. It will lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including increased rates of infant and maternal mortality (Grossman & Jacobowitz, 1981; Pabayo et al., 2020; Hoyert, […]