Healthy Birth Day, Elevance Health Foundation expand Count the Kicks to 11 states

Healthy Birth Day, Inc. and Elevance Health Foundation are expanding the Count the Kicks stillbirth prevention program with a new $1.3 million grant. The partnership will fund education, training and awareness efforts in 11 states as the groups try to make fetal movement monitoring a standard part of prenatal care.

Why it matters: - Stillbirth affects more than 20,000 families in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC. - Count the Kicks teaches expectant parents to monitor fetal movement starting at 28 weeks, which can help identify a change that may signal a pregnancy problem. - Research shows at least 1 in 4 stillbirths can be prevented. - The expanded program is designed to widen access to education and tools that can improve birth outcomes for mothers and babies.

What happened: - Healthy Birth Day, Inc. announced a new $1.3 million grant from Elevance Health Foundation on Nov. 12, 2026. - The funding expands Count the Kicks support to 11 states: California (select counties), Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. - The partnership has been active since 2023. - The goal is to make Count the Kicks a standard of care for providers and expectant parents in partner states.

The details: - The grant will support education, training, tools and awareness campaigns. - Maternal health professionals and organizations in the 11 states can order free educational materials in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. - The program focuses on provider training, clinical implementation and public awareness around fetal movement monitoring. - Healthy Birth Day says Count the Kicks helps parents learn their baby’s normal movement patterns and spot changes early. - Elevance Health Foundation said the expansion could reach 900,000 people through trainings and access to digital health resources. - Count the Kicks has received reports from 14 families in grant-funded states who say the program helped their babies arrive safely. - The free Count the Kicks app and materials have been downloaded more than 1.6 million times in all 50 states and more than 160 other countries. - The nonprofit says it has produced a national PSA that generated more than 300 million viewer impressions.

Between the lines: - The expansion reflects a broader maternal health push aimed at equity, especially in communities where stillbirth rates remain higher. - Data show disproportionate stillbirth outcomes for Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Black and American Indian or Alaska Native families. - The program’s reach in multiple languages suggests the partnership is trying to reduce access barriers, not just increase awareness. - Jessica Smith of New York said Count the Kicks helped her recognize a change in movement during a later pregnancy after a prior stillbirth. - Smith said her sonographer’s question and the app’s tracking data helped her trust her instincts and seek care. - Smith’s daughter Aria was born safely, and Smith said the baby was fully wrapped in her cord.

What's next: - Healthy Birth Day and Elevance Health Foundation will continue rolling out provider training and awareness campaigns in the 11 states. - The groups are aiming to make movement monitoring a routine part of prenatal care for more families. - Healthy Birth Day says Count the Kicks remains available nationwide and globally through its app and educational materials.

The bottom line: - The new grant deepens a stillbirth prevention effort that is moving from awareness to broader clinical adoption.