► Birth to Five Resource Guide

Preconception Health & Wellness:

Equity, Culture, Community & Justice

At HEED, we recognize that equity, culture, and justice are essential to achieving healthy outcomes for mothers and children. Health does not exist in a vacuum; it is shaped by historical, social, and structural conditions that influence access to care, quality of services, and overall well-being.

For mothers in recovery from substance use, these factors can have a profound impact on their experiences within healthcare, behavioral health, and social service systems. Experiences of stigma, bias, and systemic inequities can create barriers to care and contribute to disparities in maternal and child health outcomes. Addressing these challenges requires a commitment to culturally responsive, equitable, and just approaches to care.

Through our work across the SouthCoast and Rhode Island, we see that mothers thrive when their identities, cultures, and lived experiences are respected and reflected in the services they receive. Community plays a critical role in this process, offering connection, belonging, and support that reinforce both recovery and well-being.

Equity also requires that systems actively work to remove barriers and expand access. This includes ensuring that services are inclusive, accessible, and responsive to the needs of diverse communities, while also addressing the broader conditions that contribute to health disparities.

This section of the Birth to Five Resource Guide connects mothers to culturally grounded, community-based, and equity-focused resources that support healing, dignity, and opportunity before pregnancy.

Grounded in the science of early development and The Basics, we understand that when caregivers feel respected, supported, and connected to their communities, they are better able to create stable, nurturing environments for their children. Advancing equity is not separate from this work; it is central to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive from the very beginning.

Because every child deserves a strong start.

Educational Resources

Racism as a pediatric health risk —

Counseling families about race & racism —

Health equity in pediatric clinical practice —

Systemic inequities in OB-GYN care —

Eliminating racial disparities in women’s health outcomes —

Health care disparities (OB-GYN topic hub) —

Trauma-informed pediatric systems (policy) —

Trauma-informed pediatric care (clinical report) —

Trauma-informed care for OB-GYN patients —

Immigrant child health: caring + advocacy —

Clinical guidance for immigrant children & families —

Core competencies: children in immigrant families —

Fear, public charge concerns, and care access —

Language access and clear communication (OB-GYN) —

Health literacy and patient safety —

Shared decision-making in OB-GYN —

Respectful, patient-centered obstetric care as equity work —

Equity + inclusion efforts (AAP hub) —

Anti-racist practice in pediatrics —

Racism as a “socially transmitted disease” framing —

Supporting cultural and racial pride in children —

Discussing bias and discrimination with youth —

Screening for trauma exposure in pediatric settings —

Trauma-informed workflows in clinics serving families —

Policies related to trauma-informed care —

Community violence and child well-being (TIC lens) —

Building trust with families after trauma —

Patient voice + autonomy in care decisions —

Managing misinformation in OB-GYN care —

Ethical care when patients refuse recommended treatment —

Structural racism and child/adolescent health education —

Equity-centered parenting resources on race —

Creating welcoming pediatric practices —

Advocating for policies that reduce disparities —

OB-GYN roles in eliminating inequities —

Equity in perinatal care quality improvement —

Communication strategies for low health literacy —

Interpreter use and informed consent quality —

Family-centered counseling and shared decisions —

Trauma-informed OB care (universal precautions) —

Trauma-informed pediatric care (universal approach) —

Supporting immigrant families navigating services —

Detention harms and family separation impacts —

School readiness inequities and pediatric advocacy —

Cultural humility in maternal counseling —

Preventing retraumatization during exams —

Supporting LGBTQIA+ and gender-diverse patients —

Care for transgender and gender diverse individuals —

Adolescent confidentiality and respectful communication (SDM) —

Shared decision-making when choices are value-laden —

Family engagement after community trauma —

Pediatric support for caregiver mental load after racism —

Equity in access to prenatal education —

Equity-focused postpartum support and recovery counseling —

Addressing inequities in contraception counseling —

Decision aids and shared counseling —

Starting a shared decision-making process —

Building culturally responsive pediatric partnerships —

Equity in early brain development supports —

Supporting families experiencing housing insecurity (TIC lens) —

Addressing stigma and shame in pregnancy counseling —

Clinician self-reflection and bias mitigation —

Equity and inclusion in pediatric workforce culture —

Supporting families facing discrimination in health care —

Creating safe pediatric spaces for marginalized families —

Community partnership approaches to reduce disparities —

Trauma-informed approaches in schools and pediatric collaboration —

Ethical care delivery during crises (equity lens) —

Culturally responsive patient education materials —

Trauma-informed care training for pediatric teams —

Pediatric mental health minute: trauma-informed care —

Equity in developmental screening and referrals —

Supporting parent advocacy in schools and health systems —

Reducing disparities through respectful communication —

Partnering with patients to improve safety —

Culturally congruent approaches to perinatal trauma —

Supporting families after hate incidents (TIC response) —

Navigating public benefits fear for immigrant families —

Equity in access to pediatric preventive care —

Equity in reproductive health access (ACOG disparities hub) —

Structural barriers to OB-GYN care and outcomes —

Supporting caregiver resilience after chronic stress —

Improving clinician-family communication across cultures —

Shared decision-making with interpreters present —

Parenting supports that honor cultural traditions —

Community-based supports for trauma recovery —

Equity-centered adolescent care (racism + health) —

Trauma-informed approaches to child behavior and discipline —

Trauma-informed approaches for pregnant patients —

Addressing mistrust rooted in historical harms —

Building trust with pediatric families impacted by racism —

Equity in referral pathways and follow-up —

Supporting families who have experienced community trauma —

Shared decision-making that centers patient values —

Preventing coercion and promoting autonomy in counseling —

Inclusive care language and gender diversity —

LGBTQIA+ civil, human, and reproductive rights in care —

Pediatric advocacy for equitable systems and policies —

Continuous quality improvement to reduce inequities —

Videos

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Feedback

We welcome your feedback. If you have suggestions, resources, or updates to share, please email us at Bto5Guide@heedcoalition.org. Your input helps us keep this guide relevant, responsive, and community-informed.

Important Notice

The Birth to Five Resource Guide is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. By using this site, you acknowledge that you are accessing these materials voluntarily and at your own discretion.

The information shared here is not intended to replace professional medical, clinical, legal, or therapeutic advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your physician, pediatrician, or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding health, development, or medical conditions.

The HEED Coalition and The Basics Southcoast/RI make no representations or warranties regarding the completeness, accuracy, or applicability of the information provided and assume no liability for any decisions made or actions taken based on the use of this site.

Use of this site constitutes your acceptance of these terms.

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Use of this site constitutes your acceptance of these terms.