Every year, we set aside a day to offer flowers and sweet words to our mothers in recognition of all they have done to support us.

As a mother to three myself, I look forward to spending the day with my kids. But in my role at the John T. Gorman Foundation — whose mission is helping Maine children and their families thrive — Mother’s Day takes on a broader meaning. It offers the chance to reflect on the importance of all mothers to our communities, state and nation, and to ask the question — are we doing enough to support them?

I’m afraid we’re falling short, especially when it comes to maternal health.

The United States ranks last among high-income nations for maternal health outcomes, including deaths. Birthing centers and maternity wards across Maine are closing at an alarming rate, making it more difficult to receive critical health care before, during and after delivery. Recent policy decisions in Washington and Augusta have chipped away at critical supports for mothers and their young children. Proposed cuts — including to Medicaid, which covered over 37% of Maine births in 2022 — could be even more devastating.

Threats to maternal mental health are of particular concern. Nearly 30% of Maine’s birthing mothers in 2021 (the latest available year of data) had a mental health diagnosis — such as anxiety or depression — during or shortly after their pregnancies. That same year, these conditions were cited as contributing circumstances in 6 of 9 pregnancy-associated deaths.

These challenges don’t affect all women at equal rates. Women of color and those with low incomes are several times more likely to experience adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, as well as postpartum mental illness. They are also less likely to receive mental health treatment due to a variety of factors, including mistrust in the health care system, lack of insurance, fear of being reported to child welfare, ineffective screening and stigma. Mothers living in rural areas are also at higher risk, due to lack of access to care and other socioeconomic factors.

Thankfully, there have been several efforts in Maine to lift these barriers so mothers can receive needed support. For instance, Mercy Hospital, In Her Presence and Community Housing of Maine have partnered on an initiative to improve birth outcomes for women of color, which has had success in reducing pre-term births, C-sections and NICU stays.

The foundation has also partnered with Bangor Housing to implement the MOMS Partnership, a Yale-developed model for delivering free mental health supports to mothers with low incomes. Over 50 mothers have completed the Bangor program so far, connecting with a clinician, learning stress reduction skills and building relationships with other moms.

We should continue to increase these and other community supports. But we also need systemic change. Policymakers and other leaders must understand that advancing maternal health is an investment in the future of our state and nation. When mothers have what they need to thrive, their children and communities are more likely be successful as well.

We know that a mother’s physical health directly affects the health of her children, both during and after pregnancy. Research also shows that maternal mental health conditions like depression and anxiety during a child’s earliest months can have lasting effects on their development — affecting bonding, feeding, learning and emotional regulation in ways that can create future challenges.

This important connection persists as babies become toddlers, children and teens. When mothers receive support for their health and well-being throughout parenthood, they are better able to provide financially for their families, care for their children and prepare the next generation of parents for adulthood.

This Mother’s Day, we should honor the mothers in our lives with more than just gestures of gratitude. Let’s place an urgent priority on protecting and creating policies, programs and investments that ensure every mother in Maine has what she needs to thrive. Because when mothers do well, we all benefit.