By Diona Buck, Native American Initiatives Program Coordinator
Photos contributed by MOMS and local Indigenous BirthWorkers
A Family Care Space is a space where mothers, parents, and families can come to feed their babies, change their baby’s diaper, and receive educational materials, and most importantly connect with local BirthWorkers. While the concept of Family Care Spaces at public events is not the first of its kind, the meaning of this movement for Tribal Communities in Montana lies in something deeper: the reclamation of Indigenous traditional ways.
Families attending cultural or public events often have to navigate the unique challenges like feeding their infants, changing diapers, or simply finding a quiet private area to care for their young children. Often times we see parents leaving events to go change or feed their babies in their cars, making these tasks harder than they should be. These needs, though common, are rarely addressed in event planning.
Family Care Spaces across Montana were developed not just to meet these needs, but to do so in a way that honored and recentered Indigenous Traditional Knowledge around the sacredness of birthing, parenting, and raising the next generations. These spaces are a reminder that as Indigenous people, we once surrounded birthing people with ceremony, care, and
collective support. Parenting was not meant to be done in isolation but in community. It takes a village to raise a child.
A total of nine Family Care Space Kits, each equipped with a canopy tent with sidewalls, a portable diaper changing table, and a table and chairs, were funded through the Montana Obstetrics and Maternal Support (MOMS) program. These kits were distributed to six Tribal and three Urban Indian Communities across Montana to support the creation of Family Care Spaces into their communities. Since 2024, at least a dozen Family Care Spaces have been set up at local events and gatherings to support families.
Today, Indigenous doulas, lactation consultants, and maternal health champions are leading the way, working with community organizers to integrate these spaces into powwows, health fairs, and cultural gatherings. Key maternal health champions include Tribal Health programs, Public Health Nursing programs and Urban Indian organizations who recognize the importance of providing these spaces as a community. Family Care Space kits are stored with local organizations that have taken the initiative to lead this effort in their communities. But this work is not done alone. At its core, this initiative is about community collaboration, bringing together BirthWorkers, families, Elders, health departments, and event organizers to uplift and care for our families.
HMHB Native American Initiatives is able to continue supporting the Family Care Space initiative. Vital to this work is Diona Buck, who is Nakoda from the Fort Belknap Indian Community and a descendant of the Aaniiih Tribe and currently serves as the Native American Initiatives Program Coordinator. In her role at HMHB, Diona continues to uplift and expand Family Care Spaces across Montana by connecting with Indigenous BirthWorkers and maternal health champions and guiding communities in creating these spaces.
The Family Care Space Toolkit was developed in January 2024 by Diona Buck. If you or your organization are interested in bringing a Family Care Space to your next event or would like to collaborate, we encourage you to reach out to Diona at diona@hmhb-mt.org. We would be honored to connect you with local maternal health champions and support you in creating a space that reflects and uplifts your community.
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