Since the release of the 2023 Child Fatality Report, First Year Cleveland (FYC) has been in the news discussing the fact that infant mortality, like many disparate health outcomes, is driven primarily by social conditions and racism that keep families from thriving throughout their lives.
On Dec. 10, Angela Newman-White, executive director of FYC, collaborated with county leaders, medical experts and community partners to present the findings of the report and highlight efforts to safeguard our children.
She noted that Cuyahoga County’s infant mortality rate—defined as children who don’t live to see their first birthday—rose to 8.8 for every 1,000 live births, the highest it’s been in the last five years.
"Statistics are even worse for Black babies," she said.
Newman-White also highlighted the ways that First Year Cleveland is making a difference in the community with their efforts to reduce Black infant mortality and advance health equity.
Read the report and view the press coverage:
- WKYC's We the People
- Fox 8 News
- 19 News (at 4:22)
- cleveland.com
On Dec. 11, Newman-White appeared at the City Club of Cleveland as a panelist on the program Healthy Beginnings: Supporting Maternal and Infant Vitality. The program will air on Dec. 27 on PBS and ideastream, or watch the recording now.
First Year Cleveland is housed within the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.