Who We Are
The MA Babies Coalition is a collective of community partners, lived experience professionals, policymakers, and advocates centering the mental health and wellbeing and early relational health of babies and families in the context of culture and community. The MA Babies Coalition grew out of the decade-long, steadfast work of the Children’s Mental Health Campaign’s Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Workgroup elevating and prioritizing an advocacy and policy agenda centered on the mental health and well-being needs of young children (prenatal to six) and their families. The MA Babies Coalition places collective impact at its core, with MSPCC serving as the backbone infrastructure for statewide advocacy and policy.
Led by the Director of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Policy at MSPCC, the MA Babies Coalition brings together community organization partners, policymakers, the state’s infant mental health association (Massachusetts Association for Infant Mental Health), and lived experience professionals to co-create a shared vision and set priorities for systems building and policy that centers thriving babies, thriving families and thriving communities.
Our Work
By always ‘holding the baby in mind,’ the MA Babies Coalition strives to bring together a dedicated cross-sector group working on shared advocacy, policy, and budget priorities for the mental health and early relational health of birthing families, babies and young children across the Commonwealth. Working with state leaders to ensure that families, their youngest children and the workforce serving them are supported.
Strolling Thunder MA
Join us for Strolling Thunder on Wednesday, June 24!
Hosted by Representative Marjorie Decker, Chair, Joint Committee on Public Health
Wednesday, June 24 | 10am-12pm
Member’s Lounge at the MA State House
The first annual MA Strolling Thunder on June 24th, 2026 from 10 am – 12 pm at the State House will be an uplifting, inspiring call to action for state leaders to strengthen the system of perinatal, infant, and early childhood mental health (IECMH) care, ensuring families can access the relationship-based services and supports they need to thrive.
Modeled on successful national Strolling Thunder events led by Zero to Three, MA Strolling Thunder will bring together families with babies in strollers, coalition partners, and community organizations from across the Commonwealth to center and elevate the experiences of families with young children (prenatal–6) who encounter gaps in our perinatal and infant mental health system.
Our goal is to create an uplifting, visible moment that builds awareness and underscores the need for stronger, more connected support for babies, families, and communities. This advocacy event will also serve as a call to action for state leaders to strengthen the system of perinatal, infant, and early childhood mental health (IECMH) care, ensuring families can access the relationship-based services and supports they need to thrive.
