Written By: Milena Lanz, Executive Director of Maternal and Child Health Consortium

The Maternal and Child Health Consortium (MCHC) is dedicated to supporting prenatal and parenting families in achieving healthy beginnings and a bright future through compassionate, family-centered services. Guided by the vision that all families start healthy, stay healthy, and succeed in school, MCHC delivers direct services to thousands of individuals each year, with a focus on increasing health access, improving birth outcomes, and reducing health disparities.

Through the support of The Alliance for Health Equity’s Seed-And-Scale matching grant, MCHC aimed to expand its Family Center and Parents as Teachers (PAT) model across Chester County, particularly focusing on Greater Coatesville. The goal was to increase access to health insurance, maternal-child home visiting, and SNAP enrollment, while also launching a community-based doula initiative to support pregnant and parenting families.

Key Results to Date:

MCHC collaborates with key partners such as Penn Medicine, CVIM, LCH Health Center, Paoli Hospital, and behavioral health clinics to ensure families in Greater Coatesville receive holistic support.

Appreciation for Collaborative Efforts:

MCHC successfully met its matching goal within the first five months of the Seed-And-Scale initiative, which energized our fundraising strategy and highlighted strong community support. The Alliance for Health Equity’s dollar-for-dollar Match Fund was instrumental in building momentum and engaging new donors. Additionally, the initiative fostered stronger relationships among peer organizations and offered capacity-building opportunities that aligned with MCHC’s strategic goals.

Progress to Date:

MCHC has made significant strides toward its Seed-And-Scale objectives. Two postpartum doulas have been trained and performed in the community, and two more are currently completing their Full Spectrum Doula Certification through the DAWN model. Six additional community members will begin training this year. Through a growing partnership with West Chester University, MCHC is strengthening clinical training, simulation support, and evaluation for its doula program. Collaborations with Penn Medicine are furthering breastfeeding education and maternal support.

In addition, MCHC:

• Expanded home visiting services in Coatesville to serve families with children up to age 5.
• Engaged in policy work alongside Senator Carolyn Comitta, co-hosting a community baby shower and supporting statewide coalitions to reduce infant mortality.
• Continued implementation of its Perinatal Periods of Risk (PPOR) action plan and hosted community conversations around birth outcomes and maternal health equity.

Adapting to Evolving Needs:

Recognizing the complex challenges families face, MCHC has deepened engagement with behavioral health providers, law enforcement, CareerLink, and local school districts. A more integrated approach was necessary to address social determinants of health beyond clinical care. We are also working with a consulting firm to assess internal operations, service delivery, research, and our data systems (Apricot) to strengthen our infrastructure for long-term impact.

Key Challenge: Staffing capacity to meet community needs continues to be a challenge. In response, we are building strategic partnerships, strengthening volunteer engagement, and investing in workforce development for future program sustainability.

Impact on Greater Coatesville:

MCHC’s presence in Greater Coatesville has increased community awareness and access to critical services such as prenatal care, postpartum support, pediatric care, and benefit enrollment. Through partnerships with organizations like the Chester County Food Bank and Mitzvah Circle, we also address emergency needs such as diapers and food.

Community Story Example:
One family we supported included a young child in urgent need of therapy services. The child was uninsured, and the parents were struggling—dad unemployed, mom managing household responsibilities, and the family facing housing insecurity. MCHC assisted the family with Medicaid enrollment, connected them with housing resources, and ensured they received food and essential supplies. With MCHC’s support, the child received therapy, and the family was stabilized, exemplifying the transformative impact of our work.

Demographics of Population Served (CTS Data):

• Gender: 65% Female, 32% Male, 1% Unknown
• Age: 25–34 (22%), 15–24 (21%), 5–14 (34%)
• Race: 90% White, 6% Black, 1% Asian, 1% Other
• Ethnicity: 75% Hispanic or Latino
• Primary Zip Codes: 19320, 19344, 19365, 19335, 19372
• Primary Language: 68% Spanish, 28% English
• Insurance Status: 60% Uninsured
• Household Income: 48% earn less than $35,000/year

Sustainability and Long-Term Vision:

MCHC has a Board-approved development plan and is actively building a business plan to guide its next phase of growth. We continue to seek diversified funding, deepen donor relationships, and explore shared services models to scale our impact efficiently. By the end of this year, we expect to have a clearer organizational direction that reflects current political, economic, and community conditions.

Future Goals for 2025:

• Expand the doula initiative and evaluate outcomes.
• Enhance our development team and marketing strategy.
• Strengthen integration with local health and social service systems.
• Advance our database and evaluation tools to better track and communicate impact.

Fundraising Approach:

MCHC has strategically leveraged AHE’s matching grant to attract new donors and increase visibility. We continue to meet with donors, share compelling stories of change, and collaborate with universities on research to build an evidence base for our work. The Match Fund helped ignite a sense of urgency and excitement among supporters who saw the tangible return on their contributions.

Next Steps for 2025:

In the year ahead, MCHC anticipates to:

• Expand culturally relevant outreach in Coatesville.
• Train a new cohort of doulas and build a referral pipeline with healthcare providers.
• Launch additional evaluation tools for its programs.
• Engage donors through impact storytelling and advocacy.

We will continue working closely with The Alliance for Health Equity and other grantees to align efforts across the region and address root causes of health inequity.

A Call to Continued Collaboration

Health and education are foundational to the well-being of families and communities. MCHC believes that by starting with children and supporting their parents, we create a ripple effect that fosters lifelong success. Our work with AHE and other partners is helping to transform how families in Coatesville experience and access care.

We welcome continued collaboration with The Alliance for Health Equity and all Seed-And-Scale grantees to collectively advance health equity in Greater Coatesville. Together, we are not just responding to needs—we are reshaping the future.