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Wayne County accepts $50,000 MDHHS subgrant to expand infant safe‑sleep supplies
Summary
Wayne County’s health department said it will use a $50,000 subgrant to buy supplies such as diapers and bassinets for its Safe Sleep Matters program, supporting outreach to roughly 240 additional families and partnering with community organizations to distribute supplies.
Wayne County’s Health and Human and Veterans Services Committee accepted a $50,000 subgrant from a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) regional perinatal quality collaborative grant program to support the county’s Safe Sleep Matters program.
Azra Harris Martin, chief programs officer for the Wayne County Department of Health Human and Veterans Services, told the committee the grant will pay for supplies used by the infant safe‑sleep program and will be distributed at the department’s maternal health event in September.
"So this grant will support, the expansion really of our infant safe sleep program, which is under public health. So $50,000 will go toward, diapers, other things that they pass out at their annual kind of maternal health extravaganza, which is scheduled to be in September," Harris Martin said.
The committee discussed how many families the additional funds would reach. Harris Martin said staff member Stephanie Jackson supports more than 2,000 families through distribution of bassinets and that the additional funding will reach an estimated 240 more families. The committee clarified that the awarded $50,000 will fund supplies only; it will not fund educational classes, although Jackson offers two educational classes through the program.
Commissioner Killeen moved approval of the subgrant agreement; Commissioner Anderson seconded the motion. The committee voted to accept the grant.
Harris Martin said families are reached through multiple channels, including the county WIC program, community health fairs and referrals from partner organizations across Detroit and other Wayne County municipalities. The department counts distributions and community engagements as part of its outreach metrics.
