Peggy Vander Meulen

Michigan Nightlight: What does being a leader mean to you?
Strong Beginnings Program Director Peggy Vander Meulen: One of the first words that come to mind is a visionary, and vision is about seeing: seeing opportunities and making connections; seeing into the future to anticipate issues and needs; seeing clearly, to be strategic and know what is attainable. A leader is someone who can inspire others to reach what might seem unattainable.

We’ve enrolled about 2,000 women in the community with the highest risk factors -- poverty, depression, abuse -- and we’ve seen significant improvements in birth outcomes.

 
What is your dream for kids?
That every child is a wanted child; that every pregnancy going forward is wanted. That babies are born full term and healthy, so they won’t face the challenges associated with low birth weight. That every child can flourish, thrive, and reach their full potential.
 
What is one concrete thing that could be done to improve the environment for social sector work in Michigan?
From a public health perspective, investing in prevention is key. We need to spend more time and money addressing prevention for obesity, smoking, dental care, child abuse and so much more. We’ve been cutting and cutting, and paying for it down the road.
 
How do you know you’re making progress?
I’m a “data geek,” so I love looking at the numbers. We’ve enrolled about 2,000 women in the community with the highest risk factors -- poverty, depression, abuse -- and we’ve seen significant improvements in birth outcomes. The rate for low birth weight among our clients is half that of the typical rate for women in these circumstances. We’ve also seen an increase in spacing between children. Typically it can be as little as 18 months for this demographic, but only 8 or 9 percent of our clients are in that range.
 
What are you most proud of?
I’m proud of the dedication passion and teamwork of our staff and partners. They’re incredibly hardworking, and the care is

My dream is that one day, people will value social responsibility just as much as personal responsibility.

very real and obvious. I’m also proud of the fact that diverse agencies have come together in support of the program -- the collaborative spirit is impressive.
 
What perceptions, messages, or historical influences create the most significant barriers to engaging Michigan citizens in helping vulnerable children?
I don’t know if this is a West Michigan thing, but there is a huge stress on personal responsibility in our culture, and a notion that this is the only thing that makes a difference in the outcomes of people’s lives and circumstances. There’s a real barrier in getting people to acknowledge systemic factors of injustice and inequity. My dream is that one day, people will value social responsibility just as much as personal responsibility.