Grant funding is now available to Akron-area organizations that aim to reduce high infant mortality rates. Organizations that work in maternal health, breastfeeding support, safe sleep education, infant nutrition, early childhood development and related fields are eligible.
Grants will be awarded by Full Term First Birthday, a collaborative of local agencies addressing the high infant mortality rates in Greater Akron, particularly among Black babies. FTFB informs residents of programs that promote healthy full-term pregnancies and ensures children celebrate their first birthdays, according to the site.
Is infant mortality an issue in Akron and Summit County?
2021: Summit County experienced 6.6 infant deaths during this period for every 1,000 live births, according to Summit County Public Health. And while Black infants accounted for only 22.7% of births in the county, they accounted for 47.3% of the total deaths.
In 2022, the mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black infants in the United States was 2.4 times the rate for non-Hispanic white infants. Babies born to Black, non-Hispanic women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had the highest mortality rate of 10.9 deaths per 1,000.
On its website, Full Term First Birthday states that of the 30 babies born in Summit County in 2020 who died before their first birthday, 21 were Black.
In Summit County, efforts that aim to prevent infant mortality
The organization’s goal is to ensure that families have access to support services from preconception to postpartum, in an effort to promote health equity in the community.
The Infant Health Fund, created by the City of Akron, along with Summit County Public Health and United Way of Summit & Medina, will award up to 10 grants ranging from $3,000-$5,000 each to eligible community organizations.
The grants can be used for program supplies such as car seats, breastfeeding supplies, bus passes, program incentives and staff training. Grants cannot be used for salaries, lobbying or entertainment.
“By helping fund the boots on the ground organizations who are directly working with the communities most impacted by this disparity, we hope to make a difference in the data and help all infants in our city reach important milestones like their first birthday,” Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said in a news release.
How to apply for grant
Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits or have a fiscal sponsor, and they must be “dedicated to improving infant vitality,” according to the application. The programs and services must also serve Akron neighborhoods with a high infant mortality rate — the application notes ZIP codes (44301, 44305, 44306, 44307, 44310 and 44320) in the Summit Lake, Firestone Park, Goodyear Heights, Middlebury, East Akron, Sherbondy Hill, West Akron and North Hill areas of the city.
Applications must be submitted via email to FTFB@schd.org by April 18 at 5 p.m. — the awards will be announced June 1.
Questions can be sent to FTFB@schd.org by March 26. FTFB will post responses to the questions on its website by April 2.
Grantees will be required to participate in a monthly call with program partners and attend an FTFB retreat in the fall.
