Health Equity & Social Justice

When SNAP benefits were paused on Nov. 1, millions of people were left without cash assistance to buy food. To fill the gap, restaurants like Al Pastor Papi began offering free meals to CalFresh (SNAP) recipients, food banks expanded deliveries and the city launched a philanthropy-backed partnership to distribute one-time prepaid grocery cards, but advocates warn that these pauses are only a preview of looming, long-term federal cuts that could push more than half a million Californians into food insecurity, with no quick rebound in sight.

Oregon’s “Momnibus” legislative package looks to improve outcomes through multiple supports, including expanding access to doulas.

Wisconsin has shown that it’s cost-effective and completely possible to keep families together by stabilizing their housing. That’s not the only promising development in the field.

Chinese immigrant mothers in Southern California seeking care face language barriers, billing fights and fear of using public benefits. Many instead are turning to community clinics and informal networks.

The fear that they could lose their parents defines the daily lives of many children in immigrant families, with long-term consequences for their mental well-being.

Owning a car doesn’t necessarily fix the problem either, researchers say.

The quality of care can vary vastly between two clinics only 20 miles apart. Adrienne Bryant learned this the hard way after a recent mammogram.

Substance use and mental health are driving preventable maternal deaths in Oregon, as fragile, underfunded programs struggle to support pregnant people, especially Black and Indigenous parents.