No Parent Should Have to Suffer in Silence

At Brown Bellies & Babies, Inc., we believe that caring for a parent’s mental health is just as important as caring for their physical health. Pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period can bring immense joy—but they can also bring anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and overwhelming emotional challenges that too often go unseen and untreated.

Our Mental Health Support Fund exists to ensure that no parent has to navigate those challenges alone.

Through the generosity of donors like you, eligible families who apply through Brown Bellies & Babies can receive compassionate, culturally responsive mental health support at no cost to them. Our program recognizes that healing begins when parents feel safe, heard, and supported by professionals and peers who understand their experiences.

Every family we serve is screened for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) to identify signs of postpartum depression, anxiety, birth trauma, grief, and other mental health concerns as early as possible. Families who need additional support may receive funding for up to twelve therapy sessions with Black clinicians, helping remove financial and cultural barriers to quality mental healthcare.

In addition to individual therapy, parents are invited to participate in weekly peer support circles, where they can share their experiences, build meaningful connections, and find encouragement in a community that understands the realities of pregnancy and parenthood.

Mental health support through this program may include:

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD) screenings
Up to 12 therapy sessions with Black mental health professionals
Weekly peer support circles
Birth trauma and grief support
Emotional wellness resources
Referrals for ongoing mental health care and community services

This program is about more than therapy—it's about restoring hope. Every parent deserves to know they are not alone, that asking for help is a sign of strength, and that healing is possible.

Every donation helps provide life-changing mental health support.

$25 helps provide mental health screenings and wellness resources for a family.
$50 supports one peer support circle, creating a safe space for parents to connect and heal.
$100 helps fund a therapy session with a culturally responsive Black clinician.
$250 provides multiple therapy sessions for a parent experiencing perinatal depression, anxiety, or grief.
$500+ helps fund comprehensive mental health support, including screenings, therapy, and peer support for families in need.

Families seeking assistance complete an application through Brown Bellies & Babies, where eligibility is reviewed based on program guidelines and available funding.

When you give to the Mental Health Support Fund, you're investing in healthier families from the inside out. You're helping parents find hope after hardship, heal from trauma, and build the emotional foundation they need to care for themselves and their children.

Together, we can break the stigma surrounding maternal mental health and ensure that every parent has access to compassionate, culturally affirming support—because healthy parents help raise healthy children.