Today, Senator Reverend Warnock outlined his support for the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) for Dads-Georgia

The program collects data on father engagement during early parenthood and its impact on the health of mothers, children

Senator Reverend Warnock has championed efforts to lower Georgia’s shamefully high maternal and infant mortality rates

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia’s maternal and infant mortality rates rose in the past year  

Senator Reverend Warnock: “As a dad myself, I know that the transition into the life-changing and important role of fatherhood can be a powerful lever for change”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) expressed his strong support for examining father engagement as a means of improving maternal and infant health outcomes during early parenthood. The Senator wrote to the Georgia Department of Public Health in support of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) for Dads-Georgia, which collects data on father engagement and its impact on the wellness of the mother and child. Recent CDC data found that mental health conditions (including depression, substance abuse, etc.) were a leading cause of maternal deaths. Father engagement can help lessen the stress on new mothers, potentially improving maternal health conditions. In June 2023, the Senator joined Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) in passing a bipartisan Father’s Day resolution uplifting the role fathers play in reducing maternal health and maternal mortality, as well as the development and long-term growth of their children.

“As a dad myself, I know that the transition into the life-changing and important role of fatherhood can be a powerful lever for change,” wrote Senator Reverend Warnock to the Georgia Department of Public Health.“PRAMS for Dads collects vital data about the experiences of new fathers directly from fathers, with a long-term goal of eliminating systemic barriers to healthy families. This proven approach enhances the overall health and quality of life of fathers, mothers, and babies in Georgia.”

Senator Reverend Warnock has been a steadfast champion of combatting maternal mortality, including introducing the bipartisan Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023 to support efforts to collect and analyze maternal health data and prevent maternal deaths, and the Kira Johnson Act to support bias training and data collection. The Senator also partnered with Senator Rubio to pass the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act into law which authorized new grant programs to reduce maternal mortality and improve implicit bias training for providers. Additionally, the Senator continues to be a strong advocate for closing the Medicaid coverage gap in Georgia, so that more than 640,000 Georgians can access affordable health care. Expanding Medicaid would improve the maternal mortality rate, especially for Black women, according to the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families.

The full letter to the Georgia Department of Public Health can be found HERE and below:

Dear Dr. Toomey,

I am writing today to express my support for the innovative Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) for Dads-Georgia, a public health program piloted in Georgia targeted at reaching new fathers. PRAMS for Dads, a collaboration between Georgia’s Department of Public Health (DPH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, collects actionable data on the health behaviors and experiences of new fathers in the perinatal period. Modeled after the CDC’s maternal PRAMS, PRAMS for Dads sheds light on the public health needs of fathers during early parenthood.

Georgia launched the PRAMS for Dads pilot project in 2018, providing essential public health data on fathers during the perinatal period for the first time. The Georgia PRAMS for Dads pilot data showed the positive effect of father engagement on continued breastfeeding and safe sleep behaviors, highlighting key metrics for potential public health education and community intervention to better protect babies. The Georgia pilot project also discovered that less than 50 percent of fathers had a primary care provider and only 37 percent had seen a doctor in the past year.

With growing acknowledgment that including fathers in maternal and child health initiatives improves health outcomes for the entire family, numerous state public health departments, including in Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, and Michigan, have adopted their own PRAMS for Dads programs.

As a dad myself, I know that the transition into the life-changing and important role of fatherhood can be a powerful lever for change. PRAMS for Dads collects vital data about the experiences of new fathers directly from fathers, with a long-term goal of eliminating systemic barriers to healthy families. This proven approach enhances the overall health and quality of life of fathers, mothers, and babies in Georgia.

Thank you again for your important work. I am proud that Georgia continues to be a leader on innovative data collection that supports fathers and families, and I look forward to pushing for more federal action on this issue.

Sincerely,

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