This Father's Day, Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America Calls on Fathers to Help End America's Maternal Health Crisis
National campaign includes open letter with Elaine Welteroth and Charles Johnson, a forthcoming bipartisan op-ed from Senators Cory Booker and John Boozman, essays from faith leaders, and CNN conversation on the role fathers play in safer births
Bentonville, AR, June 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This Father's Day, Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America (HMHBA) is bringing together leaders across the maternal health movement to elevate a powerful message: maternal health is a family issue, and fathers have a critical role to play in helping save mothers' lives.
The campaign features a joint open letter from Olivia Walton, founder of HMHBA, Elaine Welteroth, founder of BirthFUND, and Charles Johnson, founder of 4Kira4Moms. It coincides with a forthcoming bipartisan op-ed by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and John Boozman (R-AR), essays from faith leaders Emma Petty Addams, Ben Watson, and Michael Hernon, op-eds from Heartland state legislators Arkansas State Representative Lee Johnson and Oklahoma State Senator Avery Frix, and a CNN appearance featuring Senator Cory Booker and Charles Johnson discussing fatherhood, advocacy, and maternal health.
The full letter—and a public sign-on for fathers, families, and advocates—is available at DadsForMaternalHealth.com
"A country that values families cannot accept a maternal health crisis," said Olivia Walton, founder of Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America. "The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world. And for every mother who dies, roughly 70 more experience severe complications that affect them for the rest of their lives. Maternal health is family health. If we want stronger families, healthier children, and stronger communities, protecting mothers must be a national priority."
Charles Johnson, whose wife Kira died from preventable complications after childbirth, said the stakes could not be more personal.
"I would give anything to have one more Father's Day with Kira," Johnson said. "My children grew up without their mother because the people responsible for her care didn't listen when we knew something was wrong. I don't share that story to look backward. I share it because it is still happening. Fathers need to know they have the right to speak up, to ask questions, to demand answers, and to refuse to be ignored. Their advocacy can mean the difference between life and death."
"For generations, women have carried the burden of navigating a broken maternal health system largely on their own," said Elaine Welteroth, founder of BirthFUND. "But maternal health doesn't begin and end with mothers. It affects entire families. When fathers are informed, present, and empowered to advocate, outcomes improve. This Father's Day, we're challenging men to see maternal health not as someone else's issue, but as one of the most important family issues of our time.”
The campaign calls on fathers to learn the warning signs of maternal complications, support policies that strengthen maternal health, and help build a culture where protecting mothers is everyone's responsibility.
HMHBA is inviting fathers, families, healthcare providers, faith leaders, and advocates across the country to add their names in support of the effort and help elevate maternal health as a national family priority.
Read the letter and sign on at DadsForMaternalHealth.com
About Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America (HMHBA) is a national coalition working to improve maternal health outcomes by advancing proven, bipartisan solutions that support mothers, babies, and families. Through partnerships with states, healthcare leaders, advocates, and policymakers, HMHBA works to scale evidence-based approaches that make pregnancy and childbirth safer for every American family.
About BirthFUND
BirthFUND is a nonprofit organization founded by award-winning journalist and author, Elaine Welteroth, to help address the maternal health crisis by expanding access to midwifery-led care. Built on the evidence that most maternal deaths are preventable and that midwifery-led care improves outcomes, birthFUND provides direct financial support to families while investing in providers and the broader maternal health ecosystem.
About 4Kira4Moms
Founded by Charles Johnson in honor of his late wife, Kira Dixon Johnson, 4Kira4Moms is a maternal health advocacy organization dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes and eliminating preventable maternal deaths. Through policy advocacy, education, and community engagement—including its 4Kira4Dads initiative—the organization empowers families to advocate for safe, respectful, and equitable maternal healthcare.
Leila Roberts 4157132009 leila.roberts@ingeborg.com
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