Caring Causes: First Candle

 First Candle, the national non-profit committed to reducing the rates of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death has launched an innovative program designed to combat the effects of structural racism and social determinants of health in infant mortality.

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death claims the lives of 3,500 babies every year in the United States with Black babies dying at three times the rate of white babies. Despite recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on ways to reduce the risk, this rate has remained unchanged for over a decade. Recommendations includes ways to place a baby to sleep and where, the benefits of breast feeding and not smoking around a baby. These recommendations often are ignored or unachievable in lower income, communities of Color.

Let’s Talk Community Chats is a grassroots-driven outreach program that partners with trusted community organizations to establish ongoing education and support services on infant safe sleep, breastfeeding and the proper use of infant products for new and expecting families.  The community leaders and families are at the center of the program where cultural beliefs, socioeconomic challenges and structural racism are heard and addressed. The community organization identifies doulas, lactation consultants, dads, and other family caregivers to train through First Candles Straight Talk for Infant Safe Sleep curriculum. This focuses on the “why’s” behind the safe sleep recommendations and effective strategies to engage families in conversations about their obstacles and objections to adopting them. Upon completion, Community Chats are scheduled on a monthly basis at locations families frequent including churches, community centers, laundromats and retail establishments. The facilitators have extended conversations with each member of the family to answer questions, provide guidance, address concerns, and share experiences.

Alison Jacobson, CEO of First Candle, says that this program is the culmination of several years of listening sessions with families, public health providers, community advocates and other care providers to understand the challenges they face in accessing support and information that is respectful of their lived experiences.

“Through a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in 2019 we were able to have meaningful conversations with people in communities of Color. We heard their beliefs that racism played a role in the education and information they received about safe sleep for their babies. In other cases we heard their frustration in not being able to access health care visits and their mistrust of providers. Furthermore, because the safe sleep guidelines don’t take into account the importance of infant sleep locations such as family bed sharing to various cultures they are often ignored.  Culturally appropriate and respectful extended conversations need to happen in order to bring about change,” explains Jacobson.

We know that families want to hear from people they know and trust – community partners. That’s not us. Our goal is to not to lead a conversation but first, listen and then offer support. We merely want to facilitate and provide access to practical information.”

The Let’s Talk Community Chats were piloted in Harlem in partnership with the Hope Center of Harlem.  The program has been running for four months with over 37 families attending and 18 facilitators being trained.  All the families have expressed that they have not only learned new things but understand the importance of creating a safe sleep environment.

The program will now be expanding into the Atlanta region with the support of Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia.

 

 

First Candle is a national non-profit 501 c (3) organization committed to ending Sudden Unexpected Infant Death through education and outreach while providing bereavement support to families who have experienced the death of their baby.