Coalition Building

Coalition building is not separate from BEE’s other work—it is how we move what families and care workers experience every day into collective action and systems change.

Across maternal health, early childhood, and healing justice, BEE brings together families, birthworkers, early educators, community organizations, advocates, and other partners to identify shared challenges, build community power, and advance solutions shaped by those most affected.

In birthing justice, BEE and the Southern BEE Alliance Cooperative are participating in the National Institute for Reproductive Health Birth Justice Policy Lab, building a South Carolina coalition focused on birth justice policy and strengthening the birthworker workforce.

In early childhood, we are building a South Carolina Child Care Changemakers chapter to organize families and care workers around the state’s child care access, affordability, and workforce compensation crisis. This builds upon BEE’s previous organizing and advocacy with the National Women’s Law Center around child care workforce compensation and our work addressing racial disparities in preschool suspension and pushout.

Our coalition-building work connects grassroots experience to policy—creating spaces where people most affected by inequitable systems can develop solutions, build leadership, and advocate together.

Key areas include:

• Birth Justice Policy Lab
• Southern BEE Alliance Cooperative
• Birthworker workforce policy and advocacy
• Child Care Changemakers – South Carolina
• Child care affordability and access
• Early educator compensation and workforce justice
• Preschool pushout and racial equity
• Parent, caregiver and worker leadership development
• Community-informed research and advocacy

• Increase quality and competency of early childhood care providers.
• Collect, analyze, and apply data for continuous improvement.
• Empower affected communities in decision-making processes.
• Promote health equity with a focus on mental health.
• Address bias in birthing and early education systems.

• BEE Water Equity Project- Add-Summer Interest link to sign up for pregnant people water walking class
• Promote community engagement and empowerment.
• Foster anti-bias culture and support systems.
• Develop effective communication strategies for information sharing.