Every Baby Guilford is a collective action movement building collaborative solutions to disrupt longstanding health outcomes and racial disparities in birth outcomes and prevent infant deaths in Guilford County. After a redesign and strategic planning process in 2020, Every Baby Guilford is building an inclusive collective action movement to address these disparities by:

• Advancing health equity in our communities,
• Centering community engagement,
• Strengthening the continuum of care of reproductive life planning, and
• Promoting infant wellness and positive child development.

Every Baby Guilford serves as a backbone entity to ignite and mobilize Guilford County through partnerships and unified strategies to eliminate disparities and prevent infant deaths. More information on these four strategic priorities, is available in the Collective Action Strategic Plan.

Every Baby Guilford aligns its efforts with the NC Department of Health and Human Services Perinatal Health Plan to collaboratively work to improve maternal health and birth outcomes in the county.

Every Baby Guilford 2024 highlights include:

• Guilford and Forsyth Counties received a $500,000 grant from the NC Department of Health and Human Services for their Improving Community Outcomes for Maternal and Child Health (ICO4MCH) program. The initiative aims to improve birth outcomes, reduce infant mortality, and support the health of children aged 0-5. Guilford and Forsyth are helping implement programs focused on mental health, parenting support, community education, and breastfeeding promotion to address disparities in infant mortality and enhance maternal and child health.
• Every Baby Guilford continues to partner with Children's Home Society of NC and Triple P to manage the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program. The Triple P program is designed to prevent problems in the family, school, and community before they arise and to create nurturing family environments.
• Every Baby Guilford’s Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) is a community-owned, action-oriented process to improve service systems and resources for birthing people, infants, and families. In 2024, Guilford County’s FIMR Community Action Group reviewed 10 infant loss cases. These reviews identified specific risks and protective factors, resulting in actionable recommendations to address disparities and improve care.
• The Making It Work: Empowering Employers and Mothers program promotes lactation-friendly policies in businesses and worksites within the community, including creating lactation-friendly spaces. In 2024, Guilford County supported 11 businesses in creating family-friendly workplaces, including five that developed lactation-friendly spaces. Through partner organizations and programs, over 940 community members participated in breastfeeding education and 137 lactation partners received training to better support breastfeeding families.

Every Baby Guilford centers all-inclusive community engagement in its work, activities and special events to collectively create equitable solutions.  Community events included:

• The 2024 Crucial Conversations event brought together over 79 community members for vital discussions on maternal and infant health.
• Quarterly convening of maternal health partners to provide education and training to professionals on topics related to infant mortality
• Triad Area Community Baby Shower fostered resource-sharing and inspired action toward equitable healthcare access for families.
• October’s "Every Baby Remembered" event offered a space for families to grieve, reflect, and honor the lives of babies lost too soon.
• Perinatal Health Ambassadors hosted events, educated their peers on vital health topics, and enhanced community outreach.

Other Every Baby Guilford efforts in this Scorecard include:

• Strengthening the Continuum of Care of Reproductive Life Planning
• Community Doula Program
• Adopt-A-Mom Program

For more information and to get involved go to Every Baby Guilford.

Every Baby Guilford continues to serve as the backbone support for the collective action work to advance health equity and address systemic issues in maternal and infant healthcare. 

In 2025, Every Baby Guilford’s achievements include:

Advancing Health Equity

• Partners implemented and facilitated Learning Plans for:
  • Clinical Services Public Health, teaching leaders how to influence change and team culture
  • Guilford Family Connects, teaching leaders to identify bias and coach for behavioral change
  • Cone Health Center for Women’s HealthCare, scheduling 6-month coaching sessions Executive Leaders
• Our Community Health Impact Assessment convened 19 participants to help Guilford County address health disparities and enhance community engagement. 
• Partnered with RJ Squared on 4 Reproductive Health Justice trainings with 125 participants.

Centering Community

• Community Health Workers (CHWs) attended 34 outreach events and engaged 800+ community members through targeted outreach and health education.
• CHWs disseminated 700+ Reproductive Life Plans through health education programs and outreach efforts.
• Breastfeeding initiatives made 257 engagements, reaching 1,220 community members through partner program initiatives.
• EBG staff and partners trained 140 professionals and community members on: Lactation (71); Breastfeeding Education (51); Mothers and Babies (8); Positive Parenting Program (10).
• Newsletter and social media campaigns had a profound reach to subscribers and followers across social media platforms.

• The Making It Work: Empowering Employers and Mothers program distributed 7 business toolkits and supported implementation of lactation spaces in 2 businesses. This program promotes lactation-friendly policies in businesses and worksites within the community, including creating lactation-friendly spaces

Events

To continually center all-inclusive community engagement in its work, Every Baby Guilford organized, contributed to, and supported over 400 community events in 2025, including free trainings, storytelling sessions, film screenings, convenings of community organizers, and gatherings to celebrate and uplift. Here are a few highlights:

• On April 12th, 2025, EBG organized the inaugural Black Maternal Health Week: Family Day in collaboration with numerous community partners to create space to ensure that all families have access to the education, resources, and support they need to thrive. Activities included a one-mile awareness walk, interactive health exhibits, affirmations, storytelling, and a joyful youth zone.

• October’s Every Baby Remembered event offered a space for families to grieve, reflect, and honor the lives of babies lost too soon.
• High Point City Council also recognized October as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, honoring families affected by loss and reaffirming their commitment to maternal and infant health.
• EBG staff members Marketa Baker and Breanna Grant appeared as experts on a panel discussion on motherhood and mental health, She Shines, Conversations about motherhood, mentorship, and mental health.
• The 2025 Crucial Conversations event brought together over 50 community members for vital discussions on maternal and infant health.
• Quarterly convening of maternal health partners to provide education and training to professionals on topics related to infant mortality.
• The Triad Area Community Baby Shower fostered resource-sharing and inspired action toward equitable healthcare access for families.

Other Every Baby Guilford efforts in this Scorecard include:

• Strengthening the Continuum of Care of Reproductive Life Planning
• Community Doula Program
• Adopt-A-Mom Program

For more information, go to the Every Baby Guilford 2024-2025 Annual Report.