Building Together: Equitable Systems for Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Mental Health

Perigee Fund’s first national RFP allocates $2.5 million over two years to fund systems change so more prenatal-to-age-3 families can access mental health supports. Groups of five or more multi-sector partners with a focus on prenatal-to-age-3 mental health and well-being were eligible for the grant. Each of the 10 groups selected for funding submitted an outstanding proposal that was clearly shaped and driven by voices of families.

Building Together Grantees

Each of the 10 groups selected for funding submitted an outstanding proposal that was clearly shaped and driven by voices of families.

Birth Justice Collaborative is an African American and American Indian led coalition in Minnesota that engages communities in co-designing strategies to improve birth outcomes and maternal mental health. With Building Together funding, they seek to build sustainable revenue streams for cultural healing practices that support mental health outside of clinical settings.

Early Childhood Development Health Systems Health Integration Prenatal-to-Three Program, IECMH Consultation Subgroup (ECCS-HIPP) is a Hawai’i initiative aimed at creating integrated, equitable systems of health and mental health care for families and young children. With Building Together funding, they are developing a data and evaluation system for infant and early childhood mental health consultation and expanding family access to culturally relevant mental health care.

EleVATE Collaborative is a Missouri collective of Black birthing people, healthcare providers and leaders. They designed the EleVATE approach to prenatal care, which addresses mental health through trauma-informed, anti-racist care. Building Together funding will expand the collective’s efforts to build workforce capacity, advocate for health policy changes, and disseminate the EleVATE approach. 

Excel by Eight Foundations Collaborative is a network of partners, families, and communities working together to improve health and education outcomes for Arkansas children from prenatal to age 8. Building Together will support their efforts to expand family access to dyadic mental health services, with a focus on pediatric care and substance use disorder treatment settings.

Geaux Far Louisiana is a collaborative working to transform perinatal and early childhood systems in Louisiana, guided by the experiences of parents and providers. Building Together funding will be used to expand family access to mental health care at major access points such as healthcare and childcare, building on Geaux Far’s work to address the perinatal mental health crisis in Louisiana.

The Georgia Infant-Toddler Coalition and their partners are a network of families, providers, advocates, and state officials working to support the mental health of prenatal-to-age-3 families in Georgia. Building Together funding supports their collective work to improve family access to dyadic mental health services through state policy change, financing, and workforce development.

Montana Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative is a statewide initiative that brings together local, state, Tribal, philanthropic, and family partners to improve perinatal mental health outcomes in Montana. Building Together will support their work to expand and sustain peer-focused mental health support for families in the perinatal period, particularly in rural and Tribal areas. 

Portland Metro Region Perinatal Collaborative is a cross-sector coalition advancing health, mental health, and family support systems across the Portland, Oregon Metro Region. With Building Together funding, they are working to sustainably finance culturally rooted, community-based approaches to supporting perinatal and early childhood mental health. 

South Carolina Prenatal to 3 Team is a state-wide coalition working to create a more inclusive, comprehensive, and equitable system of care for the well-being of South Carolina children. Building Together funding will support their work to improve family access to dyadic mental health services in South Carolina through state policy change, financing, and workforce development.

Think Babies Michigan is a state-wide coalition working together to improve the lives of babies prenatal to three years old, guided by leaders, experts, families, organizations, and providers. With Building Together funding, they are changing systems so that “trusted messengers” are equipped to support perinatal, infant, and early childhood mental health across multiple settings.

A Note of Gratitude

We would like to extend a special note of gratitude to our External Review Committee members, including:

• Andrea Clark Horton, Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color, Postpartum Support International
• Chandra Ghosh Ippen, UCSF Child Trauma Research Program, Child Parent Psychotherapy Dissemination Team
• Dominique Charlot-Swilley, Ph.D., Georgetown University Center for Child & Human Development
• Jacinta “Jacy” Montoya Price, Alliance for Early Success
• Jennifer Oppenheim, Oppenheim Consulting
• Stephanie Rubin, Texans Care for Children