Caring for a new baby can be a stressful experience, as parents navigate having to care for themselves and other family members. This can affect parents’ overall health and well-being, leading to anxiety and distress.

Prenatal care is critical for reducing the complications for both babies and pregnant people. In 2019, the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. was higher than many other industrialized countries — in that year there was one death for every 5,000 live births.

The RAPID Survey Project and First Steps Kent have partnered to listen to Kent County’s families with young children about their experiences, the support they need, and what’s going well.

The RAPID household survey has included questions every month since April 2020 about access to well-baby/well-child visits and routine child vaccinations. Learn more about the disruptions to healthcare during the pandemic and where things stand now.

From April through November of 2022, the RAPID survey included questions designed to help us understand how extreme weather and other effects of climate change are impacting families with young children, as well as to what extent families are engaging in behaviors that promote sustainability and enjoyment of nature.

We asked parents to answer open-ended questions about the things they look at to know how well their children are doing, the supports and services they rely on, and what their long-term goals are for their children.

In this fact sheet, we look at COVID-19 vaccination rates and attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine among parents of young children in the US.

Well-child visits are declining during the COVID-19 pandemic

The role of caregiver emotional support in buffering children from the stress of material hardship