Families in rural communities across the country face unique barriers to supporting their children’s developmental health and well-being. Here, learn how community coalitions in Alaska are connecting families to needed supports and services, so more rural children can start school ready to succeed. 

Swaddling babies snuggly in a blanket mimics the confines of the womb and can comfort babies and promote sleep. However, when families don’t swaddle properly it has the potential to become risky and result in injury and possible death. By improving conversations with caregivers, health professionals can help reduce risks and support tired parents. Here, find four points to cover in your conversations. 

By partnering with community programs and organizations, public health initiatives can give families opportunities to learn about safe sleep from trusted members of their community who share their lived experience. Here, find six strategies for engaging community partners, maintaining that partnership, and collaborating to raise awareness.

Supporting father engagement and involvement is a critical opportunity to improve children’s health outcomes in the decades to come, says NICHQ President and CEO Scott D. Berns. Here, he describes three strategies for supporting fathers as powerful allies in maternal and child health outcomes.

High rates of opioid use among pregnant women reflect an ongoing national epidemic. Here, two experts share why improving both short and long-term health outcomes starts by recognizing that this is a treatable chronic disease and providing comprehensive care for the mother-baby dyad.

The Tennessee Department of Health is implementing a multifaceted approach to teach families about safe sleep so all families can learn about safe sleep practices and more babies can sleep safely.