How Well-Being of Caregivers Affects Children
Category: News
July 24, 2025
Parental and Women's Health
Strong children need strong parents. That not only means parents must be present for their children, but importantly that parents themselves are supported.
The health and wellbeing of parents and caregivers directly affects children. One study found that children of a primary caregiver who reported poor mental health were:
- 4 times more likely to have poor general health, and
- 2 times more likely to experience mental, behavioral or developmental disorders.
While it’s important to address each child’s individual needs, the real change starts with the family. When parents are healthy—mentally, emotionally, and physically—children thrive.
Every time we visit a family, it’s an opportunity to identify and address changes in the family’s dynamics or stressors. The long-term relationships we build with parents allow us to have a pulse on both physical and mental health concerns before they escalate, a key part of preventive health practices.
Women’s Health Crisis
Women’s health is facing a crisis—especially in Texas. The death rate among women of reproductive age has risen since 2011 after declining for the eight previous years. Unfortunately, this maternal mortality rate continues to remain high.
According to America’s Health Rankings, the rate of uninsured women in Texas is nearly six times greater for females ages 18-44 with less than a high school education (52.3%) than those who are college graduates (9.4%).
Any Baby Can is committed to supporting moms through healthy pregnancies, births and post-partum periods, especially in more vulnerable populations. Black women, for example, are at a higher risk for pregnancy complications, pre-term labor, low birth weight babies and maternal mortality. The reason is not race, but systemic failures. Over the last 20 years, rates of pre-eclampsia have increased by 25%. Just one way we’re addressing this issue is by providing all of high-risk pregnant moms with blood pressure cuffs to monitor their blood pressure for pre-eclampsia.
Health challenges can bring additional stressors to a family. One in five children live in families experiencing medical financial hardship. Studies show that children who live in these families have more negative health outcomes, even when accounting for socioeconomic status, income, insurance, and other factors. This often means kids’ care is delayed or not met.
True health includes healthy minds and healthy bodies—you can’t address one without the other.
Declining Mental Health
New research shows a concerning decline in maternal mental health over the last eight years. All socioeconomic groups saw a decline, but mental health is significantly lower for single moms, moms with lower education, and families with publicly insured children. Interestingly, negative trends began even before the pandemic and we have not rebounded since then.
Parents and caregivers in our programs face high levels of stress. We see firsthand how poverty, lack of access to healthcare, and systemic barriers contribute to anxiety and depression among parents and caregivers. Any Baby Can is committed to addressing disparities in care and improving maternal outcomes.
In our county alone (Travis County, Texas), 33% of women reported poor mental health, exceeding men by more than 11%. We respond by:
- Screening 100% of pregnant moms for mental health concerns
- Offering staff mental health training specific to the people they serve, such as children, pregnant and post-partum women, and parents of children with special healthcare needs.
- Employing in-house Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants to support home visitors and families with additional needs
Our counseling program (No Estás Solo) has experienced a surge in counseling sessions, with a 21% increase over the previous year. In addition, we support more women in our weekly group activities that help them build community.
When parents realize they’re not alone, they become better equipped to raise healthy, thriving children—and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Our Impact
Any Baby Can works with individual mothers to build their confidence, network, and health practices to improve family outcomes. We’re actively working to improve the systems and policies that bring lasting change. Our goal is to empower women in their own health and the health of their children and families.
Any Baby Can works with parents to…
- Educate women about their rights
- Build community and a network of support
- Create pathways to reach educational or career goals
- Increase access to high-quality mental health services
- Advocate for systemic changes in our legislature
- Remove stigma and replace it with empathy
Women in our programs have gone on to give back in many ways. They lead women’s groups at a local NICU. They provide testimony during congress hearings on topics that affect women and children. They encourage other women to seek help and get support. They start businesses and provide for their children. They are role models for their kids and our future generation.
When we support parents, we create lasting change. The families in our programs are already making a positive impact on our community, and that benefits all of us.
Addressing Women's Health and Mental Health in Texas
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