First Year Cleveland

10/13/2026

We came together for Infant Vitality Advocacy Day around a shared goal – more first Birthdays for Ohio babies.

But each person who joined us at the Statehouse brought their own personal why with them too.

Read through some of what inspires and motivates our advocates!🔥

CelebrateOne
Cradle Cincinnati
Ohio Collaborative to Prevent Infant Mortality

10/12/2026

Groundwork Ohio is visiting all 33 Senate Districts to listen, learn, and elevate local expert voices to advocate for children and families. We’re thrilled to co-host the Cuyahoga County Roadshow with Coalition On Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, focused on housing. Join us, especially if you provide housing support for pregnant and parenting families.

RSVP at: https://bit.ly/4jccXWQ

🏠 How does access to safe, stable, and affordable housing impact the health and well-being of young children and families?

On October 21, Groundwork Ohio’s Roadshow 2026 will visit Cuyahoga County to explore this question and hear directly from local leaders, providers, and community members.

Alongside co-hosts First Year Cleveland and the Coalition On Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO), we'll discuss housing affordability and availability, connections to maternal and infant health, and the mental health needs of families with young children.

Be part of the conversation! Learn more and Register today: https://secure.everyaction.com/RnY5Kmiit0yaFqXaON1kbg2

10/09/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us this morning for the Partners for Change stakeholder meeting at Midtown Collaboration Center. We learned about Ohio Department of Children and Youth MIVI initiates and implementing strategies to address hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

Cuyahoga County Board of Health
Neighborhood Leadership Institute
Better Health Partnership
Case Western Reserve University

10/08/2026

GLOW is a new project at Case Western Reserve University, funded by the National Institutes of Health, to work with our community on how genetics may interact with health and healthcare decisions. The first listening session on October 20 is designed to hear from Cleveland-area community partners around two topics: genetics for pregnancy and early life, and genetic screening for breast and ovarian cancer. After a project introduction, most of the session time will be spent in brainstorming sessions around genetics and healthcare access, what communities want to know, and how they want to get that information.

Please complete this form if you’re interested in participating: https://cwru.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5aLLSaOvq59eUhE?Q_CHL=qr

Email [email protected] with any questions.

10/07/2026

Last week’s Infant Vitality Advocacy Day legislative reception included presenting this year’s Luminary Award to Senators Beth Liston, M.D. (D-Dublin) and Louis W. Blessing III (R-Colerain Township) for their efforts to advance paid family leave in Ohio with SB 396.

Want to get more involved in advocating for paid family leave in Ohio? Join the Time to Care Ohio Coalition newsletter list: https://timetocareohio.org/ -us

Scroll through some of our favorite group photos from the advocacy day reception! 📸

CelebrateOne
Cradle Cincinnati
Ohio Collaborative to Prevent Infant Mortality
Collaborate Cleveland

10/06/2026

Last month, we celebrated the arrival of Rx Kids in Cleveland zip codes 44103, 44110, and 44114. The Ohio dashboard is now available on the Rx Kids website and updates every night: https://rxkids.org/impact/dashboard/
🤱🏿 43 families enrolled
♥️ and counting!

Donate today to help us expand to more Cleveland zip codes: https://www.givedirectly.org/rxkids-cleveland

Check out some of our favorite photos from last month’s baby parade 📸

GiveDirectly
Michigan State University Public Health

10/05/2026

We hope you can join us this week for the Partners for Change stakeholder meeting on Friday, October 9 from 9-11 am at Midtown Collaboration Center. We’ll explore next steps to accomplish the strategies developed.

Register here: bit.ly/4zkTtUR

Cuyahoga County Board of Health
Neighborhood Leadership Institute
Better Health Partnership
Case Western Reserve University

10/05/2026

CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION + REGISTER TO VOTE and help others do the same - today, 10/5, is the LAST DAY to register in Ohio!
More info here: ohiosos.gov/elections
Check in on colleagues, neighbors, young people, and new friends!

And please make a plan to vote, starting tomorrow, 10/6!

10/02/2026

Where has September gone? It was busy to say the least…
First Year Cleveland is going to take things a little slower in October.
JUST KIDDING – full steam ahead this month! 🚂
Read all about it in this month’s newsletter: https://bit.ly/4rLjTwm

September was a busy month for all of us. Many of you hosted or supported numerous community events that poured directly into families, providing education, resources, and, most importantly, a source of support.

10/01/2026

Paid Leave for All & Collaborate Cleveland invite you to an evening of food, film, and conversation on Thursday, October 15 at The Elliot.

Join us for the Cleveland stop of our “Time & Money Tour,” a road trip across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan to talk to communities about the solutions to put more money in the pockets of working families and time for the things that matter most.

We will be honoring Mayor Justin Bibb and County Executive Chris Ronayne for their work to expand access to paid leave.

We will gather with elected officials, community leaders, families and caregivers, and the influential voices shaping this movement in real time. We will screen Lifelines, a short film executive produced by Allyson Felix, to spotlight the impact of paid leave on families of all kinds. Costs keep rising and our time, attention, and paychecks keep feeling squeezed — we hope you'll join us in our journey to change that.

Please RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHcVhmtbve4qDSBD4SPdOh4KESi9_sCR4Kb8tVIlv1SD6GUw/viewform

Event Details
What: Community screening & reception
Date: October 15
Time: 5:30pm
Location: The Elliot

Paid Leave for All