The Nantucket Community School (NCS), in partnership with Community Solutions for Behavioral Health (CSBH), announced late last week that its Childbirth Education classes will be offered free of charge to all participants beginning in January 2026.
The Childbirth Education project is funded by a $36,000 grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, a nonprofit grantmaking and research organization with a mission to ensure equitable access to health care for all those in the Commonwealth who are economically, racially, culturally, or socially marginalized.
The awarded funding will fully support Childbirth Education for one year, enabling NCS to eliminate financial barriers and offer a more comprehensive, inclusive program.
“This funding allows us to directly address health inequities in our community by ensuring that our neighbors from all backgrounds have equal access to childbirth education and resources needed for a healthy pregnancy and transition into parenthood,” said Pauline Cronin, Early Childhood Education Coordinator at NCS. “We believe that by supporting families in their childbirth journey, we empower parents right from the start, ensure better mental and physical health outcomes, and directly impact the health and wellness of all families.”
Recognizing the need to expand and modernize childbirth education for expectant parents on Nantucket, Cronin identified program revision as a key priority. However, the cost of updating the curriculum and improving accessibility presented a challenge. In response, NCS and CSBH collaborated to develop and submit a successful grant proposal that supported these enhancements.
“We are so grateful for our partnership with Community Solutions for Behavioral Health, which has allowed us to move forward with this project at a rapid pace,” said NCS Executive Director Alicia Graziadei. “While free programming is at the heart of this application, we are preparing for more grant-driven changes to our childbirth education classes in the upcoming months.”