National Perinatal Task Force

The National Perinatal Task Force (NPTF) is a community of people who have a heart for women and babies and are concerned about the persistent and worsening maternal child health outcomes in the USA.

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What is the problem?

Currently three to four times as many African American / Black women die in the USA due to pregnancy, birth or postpartum issues as their white counterparts. Why are mothers and babies dying and being harmed in a system that spends billions of dollars annually on maternity care?

What is the impact of institutional, structural and systemic racism, classism and sexism in maternal child health? What about personally imposed implicit and explicit biases?

Our overall maternal and infant mortality rates are worsening every year and the gaps between people of color and white people are widening.

It’s literally a matter of life and death.

– Jennie Joseph, Midwife/Activist

Our Vision, Mission & Approach

Our Vision

We believe all people have the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we care for with equitable resources to thrive in community.

Our Mission

The National Perinatal Task Force is a grassroots movement to start and grow Perinatal Safe Spots (PSS) in every ‘Materno-toxic Area’ in the USA, in order to eliminate racial and class disparities in birth outcomes, and to create equity and power in maternal child health care.

Our Approach

To model the world we are birthing, we use Collective Organizing to shift the paradigm of reproductive health by addressing the root causes of inequity, building collective power, and advancing liberation for all.

What Are We Doing?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the perinatal task force? How do I join? What is a safe spot? What is a materno-toxic area? Find out about these questions and much more in our FAQ.

Reports / Studies

Read through the reports and key evidence in why this grassroots movement is more important than ever in the USA today.

Maternal Justice Programs

Maternal justice is the model of culturally sensitive care that guides programs to address the issue of maternal and infant health disparities in the USA.

Why should you support the Task Force? 

Black maternal deaths per 100,000 US live births

Key findings from the CDC show the maternal mortality rate as 17.4 per 100,000 live births. Black/non-Hispanic maternal mortality rate is 37.3 and Hispanic is 11.8 per 100,000 live births in the US.

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Preventable maternal deaths

According to the CDC, over 60% of maternal deaths are preventable. Maternal mortality and morbidity remain a major public health concern in the USA.

Safe Spots & Maternal Care Champions

The National Perinatal Task Force™ has grown to over 180 Safe Spots across the USA, supporting Black mothers for safer care and delivery.

Years of Central Florida Commonsense Childbirth Inc. run Safe Spots

In 2020, there were no maternal deaths, no infant deaths and only 1 pre-term infant from 482 marginalized clients from Central Florida Safe Spots. 

Donate & Support the Task Force

There are many ways of getting involved as an individual, a business, or an organization.

You can join a community of passionate people who are on a mission to eliminate racial and class disparities in birth outcomes.

Thank you so much! Your generosity supports the growth and development of this grassroots movement across the USA to provide access to healthy pregnancies and babies for ALL people, and is tax-deductible. 

Commonsense Childbirth, Inc. Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 59-3479821

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Until women and their loved ones feel that they have enough knowledge and agency to be a part of the decisions around their care and until they have access to the education and support that they are lacking, they will continue to be at risk.

Jennie Joseph

Founder & Board Chair, Commonsense Childbirth