Why We Can No Longer Afford to Leave Growing Families Behind - A 2026 Mother's Day Special - Quiana Daniels
- Quiana Daniels
- May 10
- 4 min read
Reflections from KING 5's Mother's Day Special, 1978: The State of Maternal Health
This Mother's Day (May 10, 2026), I had the privilege of being interviewed for 1978: The State of Maternal Health, a special documentary produced by Conversations with KD Hall and aired on KING 5.
As I sat reflecting on the conversation afterward, I found myself thinking less about policies, statistics, and healthcare systems.
I found myself thinking about people.
The woman learning how to mix fertility medications at her kitchen table while wondering if she is doing it correctly.
The second-time mother who wakes up at 2 a.m. with a pounding headache and blurry vision and isn't sure whether she's simply exhausted or whether something more serious is happening.
The family trying to navigate sleep deprivation, childcare, work responsibilities, finances, and recovery all at the same time.
The parent sitting in a parking lot before returning to work, wondering if they're physically, emotionally, or mentally ready.
These are the moments that don't always show up in healthcare data.
But they show up every day in people's lives.
And they matter!
The Biggest Maternal Health Gap Isn't What Most People Think
When people hear "maternal health," they often think about doctors, hospitals, ultrasounds, labor and delivery, and postpartum checkups.
Those things are critically important.
But after more than 20 years in healthcare and as a nurse working daily in women's health, I've come to believe one of the greatest gaps in maternal health exists somewhere else entirely.
It exists in the space between appointments.
The days.
The weeks.
The moments when families are home trying to figure it all out.
Because healthcare doesn't happen only in hospitals.
Healthcare happens at kitchen tables.
Healthcare happens during late-night Google searches.
Healthcare happens in living rooms, nurseries, workplaces, and family conversations.
That is where confidence is built.
That is where warning signs appear.
That is where parents either feel supported or completely alone.
We Have Been Thinking Too Small About Maternal Health
One of the things I often say is that maternal health is not just a healthcare issue.
It is an economic issue.
It is a workforce issue.
It is a family issue.
It is a community issue.
And increasingly, it is a population issue.
For years, many conversations about pregnancy and parenthood have focused on what families need to sacrifice.
Time.
Energy.
Career growth.
Income.
Professional opportunities.
But perhaps we should be asking a different question.
Why are we still building systems that make parents feel like becoming a mother or father is something they must recover from professionally?
That mindset no longer serves families.
And frankly, it no longer serves society.
The Future Depends on Families
Every thriving community depends on the next generation.
Every school.
Every workforce.
Every business.
Every economy.
Every healthcare system.
Every one of us was once somebody's baby.
Yet too often we talk about growing families as though they are a burden instead of one of society's most valuable investments.
If we want stronger communities tomorrow, we must do a better job supporting the people building them today.
That means supporting pregnancy.
That means supporting postpartum recovery.
That means supporting fathers and partners.
That means supporting career growth while people are raising families.
And that means recognizing that investing in families is not charity.
It's smart community development.
Why We Created Bridge-to-Work/Community
This belief is one of the reasons we built the Bridge-to-Work/Community component within our CNS HELPS (Home Evaluation and Learning Prenatal and Postpartum Service) program at Childress Nursing Services.
We noticed something happening repeatedly.
Families would receive excellent medical care. But many still felt overwhelmed navigating everything else.
Questions about parental leave.
Questions about workplace accommodations.
Questions about flexible schedules.
Questions about community resources.
Questions about returning to work.
Questions about balancing career aspirations while raising children.
The healthcare system was addressing health. But who was helping families navigate life?
CNS HELPS' Bridge-to-Work/Community was designed to help close that gap.
Not because parents lack ambition. Quite the opposite.
Many of the families we serve are highly motivated professionals, entrepreneurs, educators, healthcare workers, executives, and community leaders.
They want to continue contributing.
They want to continue growing.
They want to continue building successful careers.
And they should be able to.
Parenthood should not automatically place someone on a different trajectory.
Our role is to help families better understand available resources, navigate workplace supports, connect with community services, and build a bridge between healthcare, work, and everyday life.
Because supporting a family means supporting the whole ecosystem around them.
What Gives Me Hope
What gives me hope is that more people are willing to have these conversations.
Healthcare leaders.
Employers.
Policymakers.
Community organizations.
Parents themselves.
We are beginning to recognize that maternal health cannot be solved inside any one clinic, hospital, workplace, or government office. It takes all of us.
That was one of the messages I hoped viewers would take away from 1978: The State of Maternal Health.
We have made progress. But progress is not the same as completion. The work continues.
And the opportunity before us is bigger than reducing complications or improving statistics.
The opportunity is to build communities where people don't have to choose between having a family and building a future. That's a future worth investing in!
Watch the Mother's Day Special Documentary
I was honored to join the conversation for 1978: The State of Maternal Health and share perspectives from my experiences as a registered nurse, mother, healthcare entrepreneur, and maternal health advocate.
Watch the documentary here:
Learn More About Maternal Health and Resources
Childress Nursing Services: https://www.childressnursing.com
March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center: https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG): https://www.acog.org
Washington State Department of Health Maternal Health Programs: https://doh.wa.gov
Quiana Daniels, RN, Certified Doula, is the Founder and Healthcare Administrator of Childress Nursing Services, Vice Chair of the Washington State Board of Nursing and King County Board of Health, Commissioner on the Washington State Women's Commission, and a member of Washington State's Maternal Mortality Review Panel.
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