First Year Cleveland awarded $1.8M to address infant mortality crisis in Cuyahoga County
Case Western Reserve-based organization will coordinate investment to strengthen family support systems
The Ohio Department of Children and Youth has awarded First Year Cleveland (FYC) $1.8 million to address Cuyahoga County’s growing infant mortality crisis.
FYC, a maternal and children’s health organization based at Case Western Reserve University, will direct the funding to community and faith-based organizations that provide critical services to pregnant women and families throughout the county.
The 18-month initiative, which continues through June 2027, comes as the county struggles with high infant mortality rates, while resources to support families’ basic health needs are shrinking.
Between 2022 and 2024, roughly eight out of every 1,000 babies born in Cuyahoga County died before reaching their first birthday. Black infants faced a disproportionate risk, with a mortality rate more than three times higher than that of white infants, according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Health.
The two main causes of infant death are poverty and maternal health, according to the board of health.
The new funding will allow FYC, housed at the university’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, to coordinate financial support for community organizations that provide physical and social services to families during pregnancy and early parenthood—a crucial period for ensuring healthy birth outcomes and infant survival.
“First Year Cleveland uses data, research and a framework to create a system of care that supports healthy pregnancy and birth outcomes,” said FYC Executive Director Angela Newman-White. “This award allows us to further our mission that every baby in Cuyahoga County celebrates their first birthday.”
Established in 2015 by community leaders alarmed by the county’s rising infant mortality rate, FYC has become a state-recognized leader in addressing maternal and children’s health. Being based in the university’s Mandel School allows the organization to access the necessary research, data analysis and community engagement expertise.
“The organization’s approach,” Newman-White said, “recognizes that reducing infant mortality requires addressing the social determinants of health—including access to food, housing, healthcare and social support—that impact pregnancy and birth outcomes.”
