Welcome from the Executive Director

Welcome to The Perinatal Council Web Site. On this site, you can learn about the broad range of programs and services we provide, read some inspiring client stories, and learn how to support our work.

Our tagline—Always in the interest of the child—sums up the heart of our work. We are unwavering in our commitment to at-risk children in Contra Costa and Alameda counties of California, and we know that to provide the best outcomes for children, we must support and advocate for those who are responsible for children's care and guidance.

Although our agency is based in Oakland, California, and serves primarily East Bay-area residents, our influence has expanded far beyond the geographic boundaries of Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

In 1985, the State awarded us the Adolescent Family Life Program (AFLP) grant for Alameda County, and in 1990, we received a similar grant for Contra Costa County, as well as the Cal-Learn contracts for both counties. This recognition is unique. In almost all other California counties, AFLP is operated by a unit of county government, rather than by a community-based organization.

Similarly, the council's Black Infant Health (BIH) outreach model was found to be so effective it was adopted by the California Department of Health Services as the model for all 16 state-funded BIH projects.

Recently, the council was recognized as a national "Champion of Industry" for its leadership in maternal and child health. And because The Perinatal Council is recognized as a premier provider of services to pregnant and parenting teens, we've also been selected to be the provider of intensive family support services to Alameda County teen parents and their children through the new Every Child Counts initiative.

Our federal grants include:

• peer-to-peer support groups for pregnant and parenting teens
  
  
• peer-support training to African American women to become community educators in HIV/AIDS and substance abuse

When we incorporated in 1984 in Oakland, we had a staff of six. Today, we have service centers in Oakland, Richmond and Antioch and a satellite office in Pittsburg. We serve over 2,000 families each year and have more than 50 staff members. As we've grown, Oakland's infant mortality rate has been halved and teen pregnancy has been substantially reduced, particularly among African Americans. We're proud to be part of that success.

However, much remains to be done. African Americans still have the highest infant death and illness rates, and African American teens and women are the largest-growing group infected with HIV/AIDS. The health status of Latinos, Asian and Pacific Islanders, African Americans, and other ethnic groups is still challenged because they so frequently lack access to health insurance.

Lack of insurance in the adult population translates into 1.74 million uninsured children—half of them under the age of five-who are without healthcare because their parents are unable to pay for it. The Perinatal Council is a leader in the coalition that has been trained to assist families in applying for state health insurance programs.

Our clients face daunting challenges every day, and with your support, we'll continue to help them devise solutions that work. We hope you'll share our message of hope with others who want to give children a better world.

Barbara Bunn McCullough, Ph.D.