Consortium for Infant and Child Health (CINCH)

Home
United States
Norfolk, VA
Consortium for Infant and Child Health (CINCH)

CINCH enages the community to improve children's health in Hampton Roads. Spread the word: Every child has a right to good health!

05/08/2026

The Roadmap is here to support Black birthing families and their support networks with clear, practical guidance for every step of the journey.

It’s a tool to help you:
• Navigate maternal care and community birth services
• Identify sources of support before, during, and after birth
• Build advocacy skills to communicate more confidently with providers
• Ask informed questions and make decisions that align with your needs and values

You don’t have to read it all at once. Use what you need, when you need it.

Your voice matters in every care setting. Learning how to navigate systems and speak up for yourself can help you feel more prepared, supported, and informed throughout pregnancy and birth.

Explore the Roadmap and use it as a guide to help you and your baby move through care with greater clarity, support, and safety.

05/04/2026

May is Women’s Health Month 💜

Your health matters, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Take time this month to check in with yourself, schedule important appointments, and lean on your support systems. You deserve care that listens, respects, and supports you.

04/16/2026

Join us as we continue Black Maternal Health Week 2026 with an important conversation on improving care and advancing equity in our region.

🩺 Provider Engagement Project: A Practice-Level Assessment of Equity Data & Patient Feedback Systems
📅 Friday, April 17
⏰ 2PM – 3PM
📍 Virtual (Zoom)

This session will explore how maternal care practices in Hampton Roads can strengthen equity-focused data review, patient feedback systems, and quality improvement efforts to better support Black maternal health.

Led by Janaya Belcher, MPH Candidate (Joint School of Public Health, Norfolk State University), this discussion will highlight opportunities to identify gaps, build on strengths, and create meaningful change in care delivery.

✨ If you are a provider, healthcare professional, or advocate, this is a space to learn, reflect, and be part of the solution.

🔗 Scan the QR code to join us and learn more!

04/15/2026

As we continue honoring Black Maternal Health Week 2026, we’re reflecting on a powerful evening of storytelling, recognition, and community.

Yesterday, CINCH’s Black Maternal Health Equity Action Alliance hosted Voices of Black Birth in Hampton Roads: Maternal Monologues & Awards at McCombs Auditorium on the Virginia Health Sciences Campus.

Moms courageously shared their birthing experiences—reminding us why this work matters and the urgency of advancing equity in maternal health.

We were also proud to celebrate individuals and organizations making a meaningful impact in our community:

• Dr. Janell Green Smith Birth Justice Champion Award: C. Nichole Wardlaw, DNP, CNM, FACNM

• Courageous Voice Community Award: Heather Wilson

• Maternal Health Advocacy Award: Kathryn Haines

BMHEAA Impact Awards

Vision: Benita Evans, Takemia Cornegy-Hawks

Service: Beth Parker, Torka Reed, Dr. DaShaunda Taylor

Leadership: Rachel Hunley, Teresita Hammond

Unsung Hero: Kelsey Jordan, Mary Holt

✨ Honorable Mentions
• Reclaiming Blactation Team – Courageous Voice
• Nichelle Clark – Birth Justice Champion
• Elite Women’s Care – Birth Justice Champion
• Asyia Jackson / The Branches of Birth, LLC – Birth Justice Champion
• Shervon Williams – Maternal Health Advocacy

We honor your dedication, your voices, and your unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for Black mothers and families. 💛

04/10/2026

CINCH and the Black Maternal Health Equity Action Alliance are excited to celebrate the start of Black Maternal Health Week 2026—and our 2nd Annual Conference is officially underway!
This week is all about coming together as a community—lifting up voices, sharing stories, and supporting Black moms, babies, and families. 💛🖤
Whether you’re joining us in person or cheering us on, we’re glad you’re part of this movement. Let’s keep the energy going all week long!

04/06/2026

As part of a host of activities for Black Maternal Health Week (see prior posts for full schedule), the Consortium for Infant and Child Health’s Black Maternal Health Equity Action Alliance invites you to join us for an evening of hearing the stories of Black birth and celebrating our region’s champions at our Voices of Black Birth in Hampton Roads Maternal Monologues Event. The AIM CCI Black Maternal Monologues are a storytelling and awareness initiative connected to maternal health equity work—especially efforts led by the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) and its Community Care Initiative (CCI). The Black Maternal Monologues are a collection of real-life stories shared by Black mothers, birthing people, and families about their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences. CINCH and BMHEAA are programs of EVMS Pediatrics.

Purpose
These monologues are designed to:
• Center Black voices in conversations about maternal health
• Highlight inequities, bias, and systemic barriers in care
• Create emotional connection and understanding for providers and communities
• Support quality improvement efforts in hospitals and health systems

We invite the entire community, as well as providers and students, to join us to HEAR the stories of Black birth and commit to being part of continued change and support to improve Black birth equity. Medical providers and students are encouraged to wear their White Coats – to let the community know “WE ARE LISTENING”.

Please RSVP! The event is free but we do request registration! https://evms.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1NRfU0GaRVmCGHQ

03/26/2026

Black Maternal Health Week is almost here—and we’ve got a powerful lineup of events you don’t want to miss! 🖤🤰🏾✨

Join CINCH’s Black Maternal Health Equity Action Alliance and our amazing community partners as we come together to uplift, educate, and advocate for Black maternal health.

From community conversations to special events, there’s something for everyone to be a part of.

🔗 Check out the full schedule + registration info here:
https://cinchcoalition.org/events/month/2026-04/

03/20/2026

Say 👋" to the BMHEAA Outreach Team!

So proud of this team for showing up, building real connections, and representing BMHEAA! 💛 They connected with about 50 families at their table!

They have been out here doing the work—joining the Healthy Start Loving Steps Baby Shower on March 10 and the Bellies & Birth Workers event on March 15. Our ladies are really getting the word out and showing up for our families in meaningful ways ✨

Thank you all for what you’re doing—not just for BMHEAA, but for the families we serve every day.

03/19/2026

Registration is officially OPEN! 🎉

Join us for the BMHEAA 2nd Annual Conference:

Our Bodies, Our Birth, Our Power: Honoring the Past, Empowering the Present, Transforming the Future of Black Maternal Health

🗓️ April 10, 2026
⏰ 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 Norfolk State University

This is more than a conference—it’s a space to connect, learn, and uplift Black maternal health in our community. From powerful conversations on reproductive justice and mental health to honoring the legacy of Black birth workers, this day is all about education, advocacy, and action.

✨ Plus, we’re celebrating Black Maternal Health Week 2026 with additional community events you won’t want to miss!

🎟️ Register now using https://linktr.ee/CINCHEVMS?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAQpW-BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaf45HIi5R6xNjJGchS8iwO9FrL5i8B1yOmIhixX9ucAJN_6agkvS17jTaJuYw_aem_uUHQoc8UNWGgmB3gr640RA

or scan the QR code on our flyer.

We can’t wait to see you there! 💛

03/04/2026

Happy Women’s History Month 💜

This year’s theme, “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” honors the women transforming our world across environmental, economic, and social sectors.

Throughout this month, we celebrate the leaders, advocates, researchers, caregivers, and community changemakers who are advancing equity and building systems that support healthier families and stronger communities.

Their leadership today is shaping a more just and sustainable tomorrow.

Address

855 W Brambleton Avenue
Norfolk, VA
23510

Opening Hours

9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.cinchcoalition.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Consortium for Infant and Child Health (CINCH) posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Norfolk?