United States Perinatal Bereavement Act

Grief should not depend on geography.

WINGS is advancing a national vision for consistent, compassionate, evidence-based care after miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death—so every family is supported, in every hospital, in every state.

Explore the national standards Support the vision

Pink and blue pregnancy and infant loss awareness ribbon

ONE NATIONONE STANDARD OF COMPASSIONATE CARE

Women & Infant National Grief Standards

The national imperative

Families enter the same kind of heartbreak—but not the same standard of care.

Across the United States, bereavement support varies dramatically by hospital and ZIP code. Some families meet trained teams with established pathways and dedicated navigators. Others encounter no formal policy, education, or follow-up during one of the most devastating moments of their lives.

“No family should receive excellent support in one hospital and inadequate support in another simply because of their ZIP code.”

1 in 4pregnancies is estimated to end in miscarriage

~21,000stillbirths occur in the United States each year

20,162infant deaths were recorded in the U.S. in 2023

Behind every number is a baby, a family, and a story that matters.

A national framework for care

What every family should be able to expect.

National standards turn compassion from a matter of chance into a dependable part of healthcare.

Compassionate, individualized care

Every family is treated with dignity, cultural humility, informed choice, and respect for how they understand and experience their loss.

Trained healthcare professionals

Nurses, physicians, and support staff receive evidence-based education, communication guidance, and tools for confident care.

Time, memory, and meaningful choice

Families have access to memory-making opportunities, cooling devices when appropriate, and unhurried time to parent and honor their baby.

Continuity beyond discharge

Follow-up calls, mental health referrals, peer support, and community resource navigation extend care beyond the hospital walls.

Support for healthcare teams

Organizations recognize secondary trauma and give professionals the debriefing, resources, and emotional support they need.

Accountability and quality

Clear policies, measurable practices, and program review create consistency and help health systems sustain meaningful improvement.

A continuum—not a single moment

Care should begin at diagnosis and continue after discharge.

Grief does not leave when a family exits the hospital. A national pathway connects immediate care to ongoing emotional and community support.

01
Recognize
Compassionate communication and immediate emotional safety.
02
Support
Informed choices, privacy, memory-making, and time with baby.
03
Connect
Clear discharge guidance, mental health referrals, and support resources.
04
Follow
Bereavement outreach and continuity with hospital and community care.

Standards support the people providing care

Compassion needs preparation.

Healthcare professionals want to help, yet many receive little formal education about pregnancy and infant loss. We cannot expect excellent bereavement care without giving teams the training, clinical guidance, communication tools, and emotional support to provide it.

National education priorities

Evidence-based clinical education
Compassionate communication training
Guidance for memory-making and family choice
Trauma-informed, culturally responsive practice
Support for secondary trauma and staff well-being

Angel'sLAWLouisiana

The foundation—not the finish line

From one state's action to a national standard.

Angel's Law demonstrates what becomes possible when lived experience, nursing leadership, and public policy come together. It affirms the importance of time, memory-making, trained support, and dignity after loss. The next chapter is ensuring that those principles reach families across the United States.

Louisiana created a foundation.WINGS is carrying the vision nationwide.

Legislative recordLouisiana House Health and Welfare Committee Testimony

Hear the testimony that helped carry Angel's Law forward in Louisiana.

Watch the House testimony

Legislative recordLouisiana Senate Health and Welfare Committee Testimony

Watch the Senate committee testimony supporting Angel's Law, beginning at 4:58.

Watch the Senate testimony

A proven direction

National standards are possible.

Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Australia have demonstrated that national bereavement standards can create consistency, support healthcare professionals, establish accountability, and strengthen the experience of care. The United States does not need to begin from zero—it needs the will to act.

IrelandUnited KingdomAustraliaUnited States →

Nurse · Educator · Advocate

Movement leadership

Kristi Lamarque-BordelonMSN, RN-C · OB · EFM · IPPE

Author and Creator of Angel's Law · Founder of WINGS

Kristi is a bereavement nurse navigator, nursing educator, speaker, and maternal-child health advocate. After the loss of her daughter, Angelle Marie, she transformed personal heartbreak into a lifelong commitment to ensuring families receive compassionate, informed support.

Her work connects bedside practice, healthcare education, program development, and policy—building a national movement grounded in both lived experience and clinical leadership.

Invite Kristi to speak Contact WINGS

Standing with WINGS