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What specific programs or services does BECC offer?

BECC was created due to the high birth disparities in African American and American Indian communities. BECC offers a safe and welcoming collective community to convene, review data, center families and dismantle structural barriers to health and wellbeing. We do this by hosting a series of community events and meetings in community with BECC’s network of partners to offer resources, advocacy, education and warm hand-off opportunities for Twin Cities residents.  We engage parent ambassadors and co-chairs from our Club Mom & Club Dad programs, the African American Babies Coalition and the American Indian Family Center.

In what ways does BECC collaborate with the community and/or other organizations to further its mission?

BECC is committed to envisioning victories together with residents and community stakeholders.  We have an appreciation for actions that integrate both quantitative and qualitative data when setting priorities that are aimed at addressing individual, community and systemic gaps and barriers to health and well-being.  The BECC planning team is intentional about collective impact including the setting a common agenda based on strategic planning with and in community, shared measurements based on qualitative and quantitative integration of threading together both the data sets from action team voices and local data; mutually reinforced activities that are happening across the (4) action teams (*Celebrations-convening/partnering and community outreach, engagement and collaboration with parent ambassadors, residents and across sectors; *Centering Father’s Experiences; *Training & *Policy); Continuous Communications across the network to assist in building capacity and support for birthing and parenting families and the consistent Background support of convening and supporting the network with staff, resources and support. numbers and we integrate the By providing input and feedback on linkages, policies, outreach, and community needs.

Could you elaborate on the core values that guide BECC in its mission and activities?

BECCs mission is “ We are a community of networks woven together to achieve racial equity in birthing outcomes in Ramsey and Hennepin Counties.” The vision is “All babies are born healthy  to healthy caregivers, in healthy communities & are given opportunities to survive to age 1 and beyond.”  The values that guide us in this mission are our strategic directions: *Promoting BECC sustainability, capacity and support (Increasing Efficiency & visibility); *Acknowledging Mistrust of People within Systems (Improving Transparency & Power Sharing); *Strengthening Collaboration & BECC Partnership (Centering around families-Uniting community & services); *Centering Father’s Experiences (Dismantling barriers/attitudes of exclusion).

What future goals or projects is BECC currently focused on?

Four Action Teams:

Celebrations– outreach and recruitment with priority communities by hosting and parenting with community baby showers, hosting health & job fairs, parent engagement and maintaining communication through a new e-newsletter. 
 Centering Fathers-A Collaboration with Clarence Jones and Glen Palm on “Daddy Book” revision that incorporates, Baby Milestones, Parenting tips and suggested activities for fathers to engage with their children. Creating a Fatherhood Doula book to help fathers in the birthing process. Partnership with Hue-man and the Star Foundation to build curriculum around fathers dealing with death and dying. Language around grief and coping with it. Engaging Policy Team around child supports education and alternatives. Partnering with Dixon consulting to host Fathers for eight 90 min sessions entailing a series of dialogues with men. Each session will have a specific discussion topic. 
Policy: Creating a workflow for birth doula reimbursement and hosting educational sessions for community doulas.  We are also working with Community Aware Birth workers Heather Christine and Rhonda Fellows in collaboration with the African American Babies Coalition (AABC) and Birth Justice Collaborative (BJC) to co-host Medicaid billing trainings with community doulas and community doula organizations.
Training:  The Training action team has an aim to train 100 individuals by next summer.  These CPR trainings reach capacity at 12 participants and are a total of (4) hours.  Trainers will offer Hands Only CPR; Heart Saver CPR certification and include First aid & Narcan information for residents and CPR instructors training of trainers through Ramsey county’s MRC (Medical Reserve Corps) and local CPR instructors.  Lastly, the training action team is working to encourage Pathways through engaging CHW’s, interns and parent ambassadors career development opportunities connected to Birth justice initiatives.
How can individuals or businesses get involved and support the work of BECC?

Join our e-newsletter list, attend meetings, host meeting locations, become a parent ambassador or co-chair, table at BECC events or reach out for more information at becc@ramseycounty.us