The Purposed Parent: Twin Cities Sisters Build a Culturally Competent Prenatal and Postpartum Support Service Rooted in Community Care
MSR staff writer Damenica Ellis profiles The Purposed Parent, a Twin Cities prenatal and postpartum support service founded in 2022 by Nigerian American sisters Praise and Peace Olowokere, who built a team of 12 specialists to provide culturally competent care for families navigating birth, fertility and postpartum journeys while working to address alarming racial disparities in Black maternal health.
As children, Praise and Peace Olowokere followed their mother to the home of whoever in the community had just given birth. As Nigerian Americans, the sisters said this kind of care has always been essential in their culture.
The two grew older and their interests diverged, until 2020, when they learned of a situation that moved them deeply. A woman harmed her infant triplets after an overwhelming postpartum experience, and the Olowokeres connected the tragedy to a lack of support.
“We came together and said, ‘We need to do something,'” Peace said.
Their business, The Purposed Parent, was born in 2022.
The sisters founded a support service company to help families navigate prenatal and postpartum journeys. Along with the 12 specialists they currently employ, they work with families across the Twin Cities, providing support across birth, fertility, and postpartum care. The Purposed Parent offers education services at libraries, meets families where they are in hospitals, birth centers, and homes for birthing support, and provides night and newborn care services.
Before birth, it is essential that mothers understand how to care for themselves and their baby and learn about the labor process, techniques, and tips, Praise said. During labor, The Purposed Parent is in the room to support, reinforce lessons learned in classes, and empower mothers. The support continues once the baby is home, with specialists available to care for newborns during the day, overnight, and through any specific challenges that arise.
“It is our desire to help preserve the family unit,” Praise said. “When people are supported, they are able to stand firm in their roles as parents, as people.”
Along with support, The Purposed Parent prioritizes empowerment through classes geared toward individuals and by offering free services to those who may not be able to afford them.
“We don’t believe that people should not get a service like this because they can’t afford it,” Praise said.
That mission is especially critical given the current racial disparities in maternal health care, the founders said.
“The statistics surrounding birth and infant mortality for Black families are alarming,” Peace said. “We can’t be in this position and look at those statistics and say ‘we’re going to close our eyes to it.’ We create curriculum that is culturally competent. We take pride in that.”
Tailoring information to address the specific challenges Black families face is central to their work, Praise said. “We study ourselves as Black people… what do we actually need? It’s not about throwing a service at someone, but asking what they need.”
One ongoing challenge is finding people who share their passion for the work. “It’s very sensitive, it’s very sacred, and it requires sensitive and sacred people,” Praise said.
The sisters say they could not have scaled their business without their faith in God and the support of JPMorgan Chase’s business coaching program. The program helped them build business literacy, guided them through transitioning from an LLC to an S-Corp, and helped them secure strategic partnerships with local hospitals, clinics, and community organizations. Growth they say would not have been possible otherwise, as neither comes from a family with a business background.
In the short term, the co-founders are focused on continuing to support one family at a time and identifying the issues each family encounters along the way.
“When we can see the issues and identify them, we can solve widespread system challenges,” Praise said.
Long term, the sisters want The Purposed Parent to become a leader in the maternal health industry.
“There are so many issues we see in the space [referring to the maternal health care space], but we want to lead to heal, to care, to love, and to see people have safe deliveries and even better postpartum experiences,” Praise said. “We want to see people informed, educated, and happy that their family is together… and ultimately reduce maternal and infant mortality.”
To learn more, visit thepurposedparent.com.
Damenica Ellis welcomes reader responses at dellis@spokesman-recorder.com.
