The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) is uniting with three other national maternal and child health organizations in a bold, public commitment to undoing racism as a key driver to improve maternal and infant health outcomes, highlighting irrefutable disparities in morbidity and mortality rates across racial and ethnic groups in the United States.

By signing the Joint Organizational Commitment to Anti-Racism and Racial Equity, the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP), CityMatCH, the National Healthy Start Association (NHSA), and the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ) devote their combined organizational strength and influence to educate respective constituencies, jointly advocate for change, hold one another accountable, and create tangible steps to root out racism wherever it exists. The commitment was announced by video during the plenary session of AMCHP’s Annual Conference on May 25, 2021 – exactly one year since the appalling murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.

“Our commitment to addressing racism as the root cause of inequity requires bold commitment and bold action,” said Caroline Stampfel, Interim CEO, AMCHP. “That we can take these steps in the context of this joint commitment means we stand in good company as we work to eliminate racial inequities in MCH outcomes”.

The driving purpose of this commitment is to act – Black/African American, Native American, and Latinx communities continue to experience health disparities caused by racism, despite an overflowing sea of well-intentioned statements. This joint organizational commitment is rooted in action and includes foundational principles that address the difference between racial equity and health equity and acknowledge the tremendous power and influence of public health institutions to disrupt structural inequities created by racism.

“It is imperative that MCH organizations and advocates take action against racism by participating in the advancement of racial equity at the local, state, and federal levels to eliminate MCH health disparities,” said AMCHP Policy and Government Affairs Manager, Olivia Umoren.

Organizational Commitments

1. We commit to examining and improving our organizational internal processes.
2. We commit our organizations to influence and promote external work.
3. We commit our organizations to develop and release communications to support this work.

See the full commitment document and video for more information, including detailed action plans for each commitment area. Organizations will meet on a regular basis to share measured progress, including best practices related to actions taken and obstacles overcome, and assist each other with ways to address challenges.

Dr. Cheryl Clark, AMCHP Associate Director Equity, Epidemiology, & Evaluation says, “By striving to eliminate disparities in MCH outcomes, we will have impact on improving health and well-being throughout generations.”