Building Better Programs

CLASP – Seizing New Policy Opportunities to Help Low-Income Mothers with Depression

Center for Law and Social Policy By: Stephanie Schmit and Christina Walker June 2016

Maternal depression is wide-spread among low-income families. One in nine babies in poverty has a mother suffering from depression. New provisions under the Affordable Care Act, recent federal decisions and guidance, and state and local innovations have provide unique opportunities to address this issue. Improving depression outcomes for low-income mothers has implications for the health of the mothers and their children, and for their chances of escaping poverty. This brief from CLASP pulls from interviews with various stakeholders in the areas of child care and early education, health, and mental health to provide ideas for state and federal action.

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