Candace Y.A. Montague

A 2005 law states that expectant mothers with no minor children who are experiencing homelessness are not eligible for private, family shelter until their third trimester. Until then, they must stay in crowded, low barrier shelters. How does that affect the maternal mortality crisis in DC?

FEATURE STORY. The spotlight on maternal health in America — and in the District — has grown in intensity over the last few years. There has been increased scrutiny about the care available to expectant mothers, especially in black communities where health care can be deficient. So what is being done to lower maternal mortality rates and increase the availability of supportive services? And how are socioeconomic issues that women like Nandi face being addressed?

The recent closures of maternity wards at United Medical Center and Providence Hospitals have left expectant mothers in a bind. The dearth of healthcare outlets in the East End is an S.O.S. of sorts. It is frightening not to have a birthing plan in place. It is even more unnerving to know that if something happens during the pregnancy you may have to rely on someone who isn’t familiar with your medical history for help.
But from the glass-half-full perspective, times like these can be a great...

For the second year in a row, a community staple is getting financial support to expand its outreach and improve the health outcomes of women and babies. Mamatoto Village, a perinatal family support organization located in Ward 7, provides non-clinical assistance for DC expectant mothers. Recently the nonprofit received additional funding that will help it hire more helpers, boost salaries of select staff members and get educational materials.
Mamatoto Village has received a grant from March ...

Their children died years ago, and they know what’s in store for families of the recent victims.
Are you still a mother if your child passes away? What if you lose a child and just so happen to be engaged in a casual conversation with a stranger who offhandedly asks, “So, how many children do you have?” How do you answer that? In the wake of a homicide, maintaining your composure while facing questions like these could be the hardest part of your existence.
The year 2018 ended with 160 homici...

All three men spent time in prison and subsequently completed D.C.’s Pathways Program.

Six days into 2020, D.C. is facing four homicides. In 2019 the city saw its highest homicide count in a decade.

City Paper sat down with three men who are familiar with violence and funerals and asked them to give the data some context.

We talked to the families of homicide victims in DC for 2019 to see what they were like while they were still with us. What were there hobbies? What were they like with their children? What were their passions? And then we listened...

Anacostia High School student gathered to remember their classmate Thomas Johnson who was shot a couple of weeks ago. In the midst of their mourning, they question when they will ever feel safe in their own neighborhoods.

Can research play a major part in gun violence prevention? One DC Council member aims to find out with his latest bill.
Ward 5’s Kenyan McDuffie, who chairs the Committee on Business and Economic Development, has introduced legislation that would fund a center to study firearm violence in DC. The center would be based at an as-yet-unspecified local university or academic institution.
McDuffie says the center would address some of the core reasons youth and young adults resort to gun violence....

Cover story. While the opioid crisis tears apart communities across the nation, it has deep, aged roots in Washington, DC. How did it grow right under our noses? Why was it ignored for so long?

After a 15-month wait, the Opioid Abuse Treatment Act of 2017 — now called the Opioid Overdose Treatment and Prevention Omnibus Act of 2018 — won approval in December, with unanimous votes at the council’s final two meetings of the year.

In just the first three months of 2020, 19,416 people across the country died from drug overdoses, surpassing last year’s first-quarter total by almost 3,000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Can we afford to abandon in light of a new public heath crisis?

The opioid epidemic has had a strong hold on many communities across America for years. But the antidote to overdoses has also been available for years. In my latest article for Capital Community News, I took a look at what and who is out in the community working to combat the issue. Narcan, anyone?

Cover story. For many years the DC Cancer Consortium was the city’s leader in cancer education, prevention, and treatment. But as ideals clashed and funding evaporated the once robust network dissipated leaving cancer patients stranded.