Unlocking Potential: Community-Led Strategies for Prenatal Care Equity

Click here to access the Co-Design Report

This past year, Cradle 2 Career (C2C) partnered with Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS) to complete a community co-design project exploring barriers to accessing adequate prenatal care. Data shows that within Olmsted County, three groups, pregnant persons aged 15-19, those who identify as African-American, and those with less than a high school education, access prenatal care at a lower rate than other groups. Our project aimed to understand and define specific obstacles to accessing prenatal care and propose potential recommendations and solutions to address these barriers collectively. 

Our exploratory project, a testament to the power of collaborative partnerships, began as a joint effort between C2C and OCPHS. However, the true champions of this endeavor were our co-design participants. These individuals, representing a diverse range of roles and backgrounds, including parents, grandparents, caregivers, doulas, doctors, nurses, and nurse educators, played a pivotal role in defining the current state of adequate prenatal care access. Over four months, they generously shared their personal experiences and those of their communities, helping us identify barriers, develop themes, and craft solutions as outlined in the Prenatal Care Access report. 

In the report, you will find a list of barriers falling under several themes, including transportation, relationships, and culturally informed/responsive care. You will also find a set of recommendations and examples of what each recommendation could potentially look like in our community. The report moves past looking only at quantitative data to make decisions and brings authentic voices to the forefront by tying barriers to participant quotes through anonymous character personas. 

Finally, the report also serves as a call to action for the Olmsted County community. We emphasize that addressing the 14 recommendations is not a task for one organization or group but a collective effort requiring all stakeholders' involvement. We invite everyone in the Olmsted County community to be a part of the solution and take shared responsibility for the recommendations to advance the health and well-being of families. Together, we can create a future where prenatal care is equitable for all.