A new report found that fathers’ participation in peer groups positively impacted their mental well-being, communication skills and motivation to be involved in their children’s lives.

About three-quarters of U.S. infants consume formula during the first six months of life, with about 40% receiving it as their only source of nutrition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If signed into law, the bill would mandate providers receive one hour of training prior to renewing a state license, starting in July 2026. It needs only a signature from Gov. JB Pritzker to become law.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Patient and Provider Protection Act into law in 2023, after lawmakers passed it following the overturning of Roe v. Wade; it solidified access to abortion and gender-affirming care in Illinois and protects physicians who treat out-of-state youth.

Amid falling birth rates, the administration is thinking up potential incentives for future mothers that include: a $5,000 postpartum baby bonus, and a “National Medal of Motherhood” for women who have more than six children.

New research shows the rate of women dying from pregnancy-related medical conditions has worsened in recent years. And Black women are three times as likely to die of such an illness as White women.

Kin-first foster systems decrease the risk of abuse and create a higher chance of achieving permanent placement for kids, according to Casey Family Programs, the nation’s largest foundation focused on foster care.

The Kindship in Demand Act, or KIND Act, puts an obligation on the Department of Children and Family Services to use a “kin-first approach” when placing children in foster care settings.

“Doulas are really the experts at being able to support people emotionally and physically through this process of being pregnant, of labor and delivery and the initial postpartum period,” said Dr. Mary Tate of Cook County Health.

Child welfare experts have long touted the benefits of foster children staying with kin. Advocates say those arrangements offer children more stability, decrease the trauma they experience, improve their mental health and reduce the number of times the child is moved from home to home.

A newly announced program at Cook County Health will connect pregnant patients with doulas in an effort to address high rates of maternal mortality and birth complications that disproportionately affect Black women.

The study found Black women face more than double the rate of severe complications than White women. Additionally, living in high-poverty neighborhoods elevated maternal health risks across all racial groups.

The nonprofit Remember Him Remember Her has partnered with Nave Wellness Center to provide free monthly grief support groups to people navigating parental loss.

A recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling is raising questions about IVF. In Illinois, the Reproductive Health Act protects the increasingly popular path to parenthood while establishing people’s right to make decisions about their own reproductive health.

“Some people feel it’s a stigma, and I don’t want people to feel like it’s a stigma,” state Sen. Cristina Castro said. “There’s great treatment out there. We’re just trying to help lower the barrier to that treatment.”

Advocates and lawmakers are calling for a permanent child tax credit to help lessen the economic burden on struggling families.