Join the 2025 California NICU Family Advisory Council
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Since 1997, CPQCC has been the leading organization in California working to improve NICU care quality and racial and health equity. CPQCC’s California NICU Family Advisory Council (FAC) is made up of family members who reflect California’s diversity and bring valuable lived experience and wisdom from their NICU journeys.
We believe all babies and families in California deserve equitable, high-quality care, and we know that family-centered care helps babies thrive. Research shows that when families are involved in their baby’s healthcare, the baby grows healthier. But the experience of having a critically ill baby can be traumatic and stressful. Family-centered care is deeply rooted in trauma-informed care and focuses on the well-being of both baby and family. Families need support throughout the process, especially in culturally sensitive ways, so they can stay centered on caring for their baby.
Council members help transform care within NICUs and connected high-risk infant follow-up (HRIF) clinics to improve babies’ outcomes, particularly for kids from communities that have been marginalized or excluded. CPQCC works with more than 130 NICUs across California so the Council makes an impact at a system-wide level.
Members of the first Council (2023-2024) focused on establishing channels for families to communicate their needs to NICU and HRIF teams. An important part of this work is making sure every family’s voice is heard. The Council co-developed and helped put into action free resources, called the “NICU Families with a Non-English Language of Preference” resource bundle, that help healthcare teams understand the needs of diverse families.
About the 2025 California NICU Family Advisory Council
Recruitment is underway for the 2025-2027 Council, which will build on the successes and knowledge of the first Council to equitably improve health outcomes for all NICU babies and families. Led by statewide NICU data, the new Council will guide CPQCC in prioritizing, developing and putting into action tools to address social determinants of health, meet the needs of families who prefer a non-English language, make the NICU discharge process better for all babies and families, and more.
California NICU Family Advisory Council (2023-2024)
Chair: Michelle Wrench
