San Mateo County Board of Supervisors establishes trust fund for mothers: Mechanism to receive philanthropic contributions supporting education, initiatives for improving maternal, infant health outcomes

“The question before us is not whether we approve the fund, it is whether we are ready to take a meaningful step toward fairness and maternal health,” Gauthier said at the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday. 

Black residents are a small portion of the county’s population, “yet disparities persist across multiple health indicators,” a staff report reads. Latina mothers also experience the highest infant mortality rates in San Mateo County. 

“These local trends highlight the importance of examining and addressing disparities at the county level to ensure that all families have equitable opportunities for healthy pregnancies and births,” a staff report reads. 

The disparity in mortality rates can go unreported in statewide reports due to small sample size, Gauthier said.

“That does not make these disparities any less, it makes it more urgent to respond locally,” Gauthier said.

Early focus of the funds will go toward increasing awareness of health disparities and strengthening partnerships between health care systems, public health agencies and community organizations that serve pregnant and parenting families. 

The trust fund will allow the county to accept donations and contributions and allocate funding dedicated to “community-centered maternal health programming and initiatives that promote equitable birth outcomes,” the report reads. Gifts more than $10,000 will be reported quarterly to the board. 

Disparities are not explained by one thing, the report said. Socioeconomic status, education and access to health insurance are just factors in health outcomes drastically influenced by structural and systematic inequities. 

This includes “inequities in access to quality health care, chronic stress associated with systemic bias and discrimination, barriers to culturally responsive care and gaps in access to behavior health and support services,” the staff report reads. 

The launch of the trust fund will be celebrated with an event designed to raise awareness including a public film screening of “The Risk of Giving Birth” which shares lived experiences. This is slated for April 16. 

The trust fund, described as a community based solution to provide equitable health care, was approved 4-0 by supervisors, with Supervisor David Canepa absent.