Finding the right care during pregnancy can be hard on its own. Finding it while life’s obstacles are at their highest can feel impossible. 

After losing her job and being evicted, Rosalind found herself in one of the toughest moments of her life. Not one to give up, she immediately started calling doctors’ offices to secure adequate care during her pregnancy. 

What she found was a trail of closed doors. Without insurance, one office after another turned her away. No referrals. No next steps. The one option that might’ve worked was too far away. 

“As a mom of two, having to do all that research on your own is hard,” Rosalind says. 

Then she remembered Commonsense Childbirth. She first encountered the team at a local festival a year earlier, so she called the office.

This time was different. 

Not only did Rosalind book an appointment, but the experience stayed with her.

“The receptionist was friendly, the space was clean, quiet, with a couch and pillows instead of hard chairs,” she adds. “And I left with a diaper bag, a wealth of information, and a new midwife. It was just easy.”

For Rosalind, that ease was the exception, not the rule. 

Looking back on the silos and what she calls “knowledge hoarding” she encountered elsewhere, she wishes it were a more pleasant experience for expecting moms.

“Time equity is such a privilege. There are moms who may not have the resources or know-how to be as persistent, or have the transportation to even visit an office, she says. “I wish moms with far less time and fewer resources were met with kindness and not judgment.”

Stories like this are exactly why the West Orange Maternal Health Collaborative exists.

In August 2025, local health leaders, nonprofits, and community members came together to ask a hard question: how can West Orange close the gaps in prenatal and maternal care rather than continue working in silos? 

Fast forward just one year later, and the collaborative has launched a tangible response to that overarching question.  

Introducing the Maternal Health Dashboard

The Maternal Health Dashboard is a free, public tool that brings together local data on maternal and infant health outcomes, access to care, and disparities across West Orange.

For the first time, healthcare providers, nonprofits, and government officials can look at the same shared picture of where needs are greatest and act on it together.

Why This Work Matters

Research continues to show that low-birthweight rates in Orange County continue to exceed the national average, a reality tied to higher risks of infant mortality, developmental delays, and long-term health complications.

This dashboard is more than a data tool. By removing barriers and creating a space for experts across our community to collaborate on a shared resource, we can develop real, actionable solutions. 

What the Dashboard Tracks

  • Maternal and infant health outcomes
  • Disparities in outcomes and access across neighborhoods and populations
  • Availability of and access to prenatal, birth, and postpartum care and resources
  • Community indicators that help partners identify gaps and set shared priorities

Moms in our community should have access to timely, high-quality prenatal care so every baby can have a healthy, strong start.

Explore the Maternal Health Dashboard to see the data for yourself.

Interested in partnering with the Collaborative, or have questions about the dashboard? Contact Us