Out of all the milestones in which a person could use support navigating throughout life, becoming a parent is objectively the most important. How often do we hear from parents that “There is no handbook on parenting,” or “The first one is always the hardest”? What is known as the “fourth trimester” is real, and the needs of the parents don’t magically disappear when the child is born, they only increase and, often, parents can’t meet those needs. 

Unfortunately, New York City doesn’t make it easier to be a new parent, which is why I’ve introduced the “Newborn Navigator Act,” which would provide resources and support for new parents who don’t know where to turn. The idea for the legislation came from my longtime district director, Angelica Colon, who had a traumatic birth experience, and despite working for the city for many years, did not know where to access the resources she needed, or ones she didn’t even know she would need. I had given birth two months before being sworn in as a council member. Suddenly, not only did I have an entire district to take care of, I now had an infant. Even with my decade of experience working in city government, I was overwhelmed with the task of being a new mom. 

So we wondered, what if there was a simple way to provide new parents with information about the local resources available to them and their newborns? What if there was a simple, searchable resource that helped you navigate caretaking for a child in New York City: from vaccine appointments, to childcare, to lactation specialists, and mental health services.  For some, it  is a matter of life and death.