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september Update


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Does easing cash assistance rules affect breastfeeding?
This quasiexperimental study analyzed whether COVID-19-era Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policy changes affected breastfeeding outcomes. Using national data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (2017–20), the authors find that state TANF policies that expanded eligibility, increased cash payments, and decreased administrative burdens increased breastfeeding initiation and duration.


Researchers suggest that temporary policy reforms during the COVID-19 pandemic may provide a blueprint for long-term safety net strategies that strengthen maternal and child health while addressing racial and socioeconomic disparities.
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Read their blog post.

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Using narrative change as a tool for health justice in Asheville
This blog post introduces a participatory narrative tool developed in Asheville to better capture and center Black voices in local health justice efforts. The project demonstrates how narrative change can reshape public understanding, shift power, and guide equity-focused policymaking. It’s a practical example of how communities can harness storytelling to influence systems change.

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What happens when local organizing committees take the lead in addressing housing and health challenges?
Local organizing committees in California’s Central Valley are advancing health and housing equity by addressing unsafe living conditions and advocating for structural change. This blog post explores how local leadership and resident-driven solutions are shifting power dynamics in favor of historically underserved communities. The approach offers lessons for regions facing similar challenges nationwide.
Community corner
Funding opportunity:
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Apply now for rapid response grants

Evidence for Action (E4A) is now accepting applications for their call for proposals, Rapid Response: Reinvesting in Racial and Indigenous Health Equity Research. This funding is exclusively available to applicants who have already received federal funding (e.g., from the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or National Science Foundation) for their health equity research but have since had their funding partially or fully rescinded because of federal administrative actions.

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Apply by October 1, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. (ET).

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