Supervisor Taylor Resolutions on Infant Mortality and Early Childhood Development Adopted by County Board
"We must do more to ensure that all babies born in Milwaukee County have an equal opportunity to grow up healthy and happy, and pursue their dreams."
MLWAUKEE – The Milwaukee County Board recently adopted two resolutions by Supervisor Sequanna Taylor dealing with children’s health and development. One of Taylor’s resolutions called for increased attention to the causes of infant mortality, while the second called for an increase in federal funding for early childhood development.
“We must do more to ensure that all babies born in Milwaukee County have an equal opportunity to grow up healthy and happy, and pursue their dreams. We can’t be afraid to talk about the disturbingly high rates of infant mortality and the racial disparities associated with this crisis, and we must demand better access to quality, affordable health care as one way to address this glaring disparity. All of our kids deserve access to early childhood education, which can help pave a pathway to success later in life,” said Supervisor Taylor.
The infant mortality rate in Milwaukee is about 9.8 deaths per 1,000 births across all populations. Milwaukee County has significant racial disparities in infant mortality rates, with the rate for Blacks at 14.9, over three times that for whites (4.9) and Latinos (4.4).
Taylor’s resolution calls for raising awareness of the infant mortality issue in Milwaukee County and “recognizing the ongoing efforts of the City of Milwaukee to reduce infant mortality, including the Strong Baby campaign and Best Babies Zone initiative.”
Taylor’s resolution on early childhood education notes that children under five years of age see improved development in their cognitive, emotional, and social abilities as a result of investments in early education, and that early childhood education leads to higher graduation rates and better chances of employment.
Increased mental stimulation before age four leads to more development in the parts of the brain dedicated to language and cognition.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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