This September, more than 12,000 lawmakers, advocates, and community leaders gathered in Washington, D.C. for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 54th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). With the theme “Made for This Moment: Power, Policy & Progress,” the conference spotlighted issues shaping the health, well-being, and advancement of Black communities.
Among the attendees were April Wallace, senior manager of strategies and partnerships, and Jasmine Hooper, manager of strategies and partnerships, with the National Collaborative for Infants & Toddlers. They joined to support the American Heart Association’s Health Care by Food initiative and to better understand how these conversations intersect with prenatal-to-age-three priorities. We spoke with April and Jasmine about their experience, the significance of the event, and how the conversations help advance prenatal-to-age-three priorities.
April Wallace (left) and Jasmine Hooper (right) representing the American Heart Association’s Health Care by Food initiative at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference.
Q: Why was it important for NCIT staff to attend the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation event?
April: The conference is the largest public policy gathering focused on issues impacting Black Americans and the African diaspora. Being in those rooms gave us the opportunity to hear directly from leaders about maternal and infant health and the many factors that influence it – such as access to nutritious food, quality care, and safe environments. Our presence also underscored the American Heart Association’s commitment to supporting health from the very start of life.
Jasmine: It was also a valuable chance to listen in on policy conversations and connect them back to our mission. Understanding how leaders are approaching issues like maternal mortality and infant health helps us strengthen how we support PN-3 priorities across states and communities.
Q: How does the Health Care by Food initiative connect to NCIT’s broader work?
Jasmine: Health Care by Food hosted a panel, “What Is Food is Medicine?,” with support from The Rockefeller Foundation. The session spotlighted how integrating healthy food into health care can prevent and treat chronic disease. For NCIT, it was a chance to see how this initiative complements our focus on the earliest years – especially the role nutrition plays in maternal and infant health.
April: Exactly. For example, panelists reminded us that barriers like food deserts or lack of transportation directly affect pregnancy outcomes. As we think about the prenatal-to-3 window, those lessons are important for shaping how we frame access to food and care in our own work.
Q: What were the most powerful insights you heard in the sessions you attended?
April: In the Black Maternal Health sessions, we heard sobering statistics: Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes, and more than 80% of these deaths are preventable. What stuck with me was the call to listen and believe patients, and to design systems flexible enough to meet people where they are – whether that’s evening clinic hours, transportation assistance, or child care support.
Jasmine: I was struck by the policy solutions being lifted up – training providers to listen more closely and treat patients with respect, expanding Medicaid to cover prenatal care for 12 months, and increasing supports like the Earned Income Tax Credit for childbearing families. These aren’t abstract ideas; they’re practical policies that states and communities can put into action.
Panelists share insights on policy, power, and progress during a session at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 54th Annual Legislative Conference.
Q: Why does being part of national conversations like at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation ALC matter for your work at NCIT?
April: National convenings like the Congressional Black Caucus ALC bring together Black leaders who are setting the policy agenda. Being in those rooms allows us to highlight how prenatal-to-3 issues – including maternal health, infant nutrition, and access to care – fit into the larger conversations about health and well-being. It also gives us the chance to carry forward what’s working in communities and elevate it on a national stage.
Jasmine: For me, it’s about building relationships and making sure the early years are part of the conversation. At this conference, I connected with local and state officials who are committed to maternal health and early childhood, and those connections will help strengthen NCIT’s work across the country. When we show how PN-3 priorities align with broader movements for health and wellness, it opens doors for collaboration and lasting change.
Q: Why are the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and Health Care by Food conversations important for prenatal-to-3 priorities?
April: Prenatal-to-3 is the foundation for lifelong health. When expectant parents and infants don’t have consistent access to nutritious food, quality care, or safe environments, the effects can last well beyond those early years. That’s why tackling maternal mortality, extending postpartum Medicaid coverage, and integrating food into health care are so important for giving families a strong start.
Jasmine: Better maternal health means healthier babies. Policies that support healthy pregnancies – such as extended Medicaid coverage, reliable access to housing, nutrition, and childcare, and improving related data collection – are also policies that set infants up for success. The conversations at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation underscored that investing in maternal health is really an investment in the next generation.
Q: How will you carry forward the insights and connections from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation into your work?
April: We’ll continue building momentum around the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act and protecting Medicaid. Just as importantly, we’ll be lifting up community-based models like Mamatoto Village – examples that show what’s possible when systems meet families’ needs. Sharing what we learned at the Congressional Black Caucus helps ensure those lessons reach broader audiences.
Jasmine: We’ll also keep making the case that Food Is Medicine – not only for managing chronic disease in adults, but as a strategy to strengthen the prenatal-to-3 period and give every child a healthier start. The conversations and relationships from CBCF will inform how we partner with communities and policymakers moving forward.
Health leaders gather at the American Heart Association’s Health Care by Food booth to advance conversations on nutrition, health, and wellness.
By being part of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation ALC, NCIT staff had the opportunity to listen, learn, and reflect on how national conversations on maternal health, nutrition, and access to care connect back to the earliest years. The path forward is clear: deepen partnerships, build on these conversations, and keep PN-3 priorities front and center in national policy.
Check out this ICYMI for a deeper dive into the panel discussion offerings and key takeaways from the 2025 Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference.
The future of maternal and infant health depends on the choices we make today. By becoming part of NCIT’s advocacy network, you can help shape policies that strengthen families from the very beginning. Don’t just follow the conversation – be part of it. Join NCIT as an advocate.
