The Paid Leave Podcast

Representative Kai Belton's Passion, Advocacy, and Commitment to Connecticut Families.

• The Connecticut Paid Leave Authority • Season 3 • Episode 38

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In this episode of The Paid Leave Podcast we focus on mental health and speak with a local politician who started a caucus dealing with black family health. May is Mental Health Awareness Month it is also Maternal Mental Health Month and National Adolescent Health Month, and it’s Children’s Mental Health Awareness week from May 5-11th.  CT Paid Leave gives up to 12 weeks of income Replacement for your own serious health conditions ot that of a loved one that includes maternity and bonding leave and mental health issues if your health care professional deems it a serious health condition. 

Guest Kai Belton, a state representative and advocate for children's mental health and victim services, shares her journey into politics, inspired by the late Rep. Q Williams. Belton emphasizes the importance of the Black Maternal and Infant Health Caucus in addressing racial disparities in maternal health. She recounts her personal experiences with healthcare and advocates for the critical role of paid leave in supporting families and caregivers, particularly during crises. Belton also discusses the need for diverse healthcare workers and the impact of maternal mental health on community health.

To get in touch with Representative Kai Belton: Belton | Connecticut House Democrats or call 1-800-842-8267, 860-240-8585.

For information or to apply for benefits please go to: CT Paid Leave.


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Nancy Barrow:

Hello Connecticut, and welcome to The Paid Leave Podcast. The title basically says it all. I'm Nancy Barrow, and I will be delving into this new state program and how it can help you and your family. This podcast will give you information you should know about Connecticut Paid Leave and maybe just a little bit more. Connecticut Paid Leave brings peace of mind to your home, family and workplace. Welcome to The Paid Leave Podcast. busy month. Connecticut paid leave gives up to 12 weeks of income replacement for your own serious health conditions or that of a loved one, that includes maternity and bonding leave and mental health issues if your health care professional deems it a serious health condition. My guest today is State Representative Kai Belton. She was elected in a 2023 special election to the Connecticut General Assembly for the 100th district that includes Middletown with almost two decades of service as a Licensed Master social worker in Middletown representative Belton is known for her dynamic leadership and strong advocacy, particularly in victim services and children's mental health, and she serves on three crucial committees, Appropriations Committee, the Committee on children and the vice chair of the Public Health Committee. Her passion lies in creating a better Connecticut by advocating for quality health care for all and equity and justice. Representative Belton works for the well being of all Connecticut residents and outside of the legislature. She's currently employed by the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, known as CCA dv, and is the vice president of programs there. And she's also a mobile crisis clinician at Middlesex health. Welcome to The Paid Leave Podcast Representative Belton.

Rep. Kai Belton:

Thank you, Nancy. I am so happy to be here.

Nancy Barrow:

Tell me about your journey into politics, if you can give me that, and is everything it? Is it everything that you expected it to be?

Rep. Kai Belton:

Well, I have to say, I was talking with Representative Q Williams, who, you know, was like, well, you know, you should join the Democratic Town Committee. So I was like, Okay, I'll, you know, check that out, see what it's about. So I joined, and I ended up taking this class, this training program Emerge Connecticut, that trains Democratic women to campaign and run for office. And during that time, what I was thinking is one day I might, you know, run for Board of Ed, or, you know, something like that. I never thought about being a State Representative. You know, Senate, nothing on the state level. It's just not my one thing that I always think about is that, you know, there's a lot of, you know, public interaction, right, right? That is just not who I am. And Q was that person, right? So it was, like, perfect for him. I just wanted to be more informed and a little more active. And then, you know, then we had the the tragic death of Representative Williams, and that is really when things changed. You know, very short, shortly after he passed, I was asked to run for his seat, and I was like, kind of upset about that, because I'm like, why are we talking about running for his seat, like he just passed away. But, you know, the Republicans in our town had already had somebody ready, and we were like, you know, we have to do something. And I still said, No. I said no, like, two or three times, and then, you know, I started to think about you and how he was always championing women's voices, and, you know, how we should be more involved and more active in government. And I was like, Okay, well, I'm going to just try it, right? I'm gonna put my name in the hat if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. Really didn't want to do it anyway, but at least I could say I tried right, and I had no idea that this was gonna happen, and put my name in the hat. Did the candidate interview, and I I was the chosen candidate, and I was like, What in the world, so.

Nancy Barrow:

It must have been meant to be, though you have to kind of think of things in that nature.

Rep. Kai Belton:

Absolutely. And, you know, I find it funny that people would say to me, Well, you know, Q would, you know, speak about you, you know, in rooms in, you know, he would say. You know, things about, like, how you would be great at this or that. And I'm like, well, he never told me that. He never, you know, he lifted me up, but he never talked about, well, if I wasn't in this seat, like you would be one of the people that you know, I would, would want, you know, to run. And you know, just hearing that really gave me some courage and confidence to to do it, and so I'm here.

Nancy Barrow:

And how does it feel to be Middletown's first black female State Representative?

Rep. Kai Belton:

I am the first, but I am not the last. I look at it like she opened that door for me as the first black man, and I am the first black woman, but I am not the last. I'm leaving that door open for many, many more. And it's, it's an honor, and it comes along with a lot of pressure, obviously, because you don't want to screw that up, right? Because everyone is looking at you to, you know, because they have their own expectations of, you know what black people should be doing, and you know, and how they behave, and you know all of the things. So, you know, there, there are plenty eyes, you know, on me, just like there were plenty eyes on onto so it's a lot of pressure, but, you know, I'm up for the job. I'm up for the task.

Nancy Barrow:

And how does it feel being a role model now for younger black girls who look at you and say, hey, if, if Representative Belton, can do this, I can do this.

Rep. Kai Belton:

Yeah, I look, I think about that all the time. I'm like, you know, and I have a daughter too, who is a is a social worker who never thought about politics before. Now she's like, mom, like, this is so amazing. Like, you know, I can I see her exploring things now that I didn't before. But also, you know, the young people in my community, they stated, and I used to work in the school system, so you know, when I see young people my I used to do this girl talk summer program, and when I see some of those students, the interest now that they have in politics, because I'm here, it just makes me So happy they want to know more, because it doesn't always look like a space for us, right? It doesn't always look like a space for women. It doesn't always look like a space for black women. And I think just having me here really gives people the opportunity to explore, you know, the possibilities. And this summer, I'm actually doing a Miss President us summer program for young women who are in middle school, and it's really teaching them about government, is teaching them how to run for a campaign, how to do a campaign, and they actually have an election. So it's really great, and this is going to be the first time it's ever been done in Middletown. And I'm really excited about it. I really feel like this is another way to, you know, to lift the voices of young women and get them exposed early.

Nancy Barrow:

And that's so important, I'm going to shift gears a little bit and ask you to tell me a little bit about being the Chair of the Black Maternal and Infant Health Caucus. How did this come about?

Rep. Kai Belton:

Okay, so I was very new to the legislature, and at that time, we had six black women in the entire legislature. Now we have four. And there, you know, was a lot of talk about the maternal health crisis. And you know, I really felt strongly about the fact that we needed to be at the center of these conversations, because this is something that we live every single day. All of us had stories, right? So, and we have family members who have stories. So I went to all the black members, all the black women members, and I told them what I wanted to do, that I wanted to form this black maternal and infant health caucus, and Robin Porter was very supportive. It was something that she had been thinking about doing. So she helps me. You know, we came up with the name the mission, and I went to to all the the black women legislators, and I was, you know, telling them, You know what, what I wanted to do, and asking them, you know, if they would sign on to this letter with me to form the caucus. And they all agreed. So. And we put the call out there to other legislators. And you know, we have a bipartisan group. We have over 30 something members, and what we really do is focus on changing outcomes for black mothers and babies, and we do that in many different ways, but we have a very supportive group. Everyone is very engaged, and we are really the center of the conversations that are happening, the center of the policy.

Nancy Barrow:

I know black maternal deaths in our country are three times higher than white women, pregnancy complications two times as likely in black women. Let's, let's talk about the issue of racism in health care. You work as a mobile crisis clinician at Middlesex Health. What have you seen? And what are your thoughts about combating it? Is it with this caucus?

Rep. Kai Belton:

So you know, it's a

Nancy Barrow:

It's a big question. I'm sorry, it's a huge question.

Rep. Kai Belton:

So you know, I think good policy can come out of this, this caucus. But you know, this is a historical issue, right? Like this is racism that has been happening for so many years. I mean, black people historically, you know, were used as specimens and not humans. So that trauma lives in our DNA, right? So when it comes to the healthcare system, it's not our it's not our favorite place, yeah? So it's really, really important for us to have healthcare workers who look like us, yeah? Because that's where the trust comes in, right? And you think about like, you know, preventive care and things like that, like, you know, we if we had more people in the workforce that looked like us, we would live longer. We would live, you know. And when it comes to maternal health, I think that having someone by your side who understands your experiences culturally and can advocate for you and empower you. It's extremely important. And you know, one of I value doulas so much because I think they are invaluable to mothers and birthing people during their birthing journeys. My daughter is actually studying to be a doula right now. Oh my goodness. How great is that? Yeah, it's amazing. And it's even more amazing that my daughter in law is having her my son and my daughter in law, they're having their second baby, and my daughter is going to be a doula. So I'm really excited about that.

Nancy Barrow:

That's wonderful. And I hope that they use Connecticut Paid Leave, and they use the bonding that they need to. What was your experience as a mom and having your child? Were you listened to by the medical community, or did you have great medical care?

Rep. Kai Belton:

Actually, my first child I had when I was very young, and I was having preterm labor. I was hospitalized for it. I was still having contractions, and they were trying to send me home, and I was telling them, you know, I'm still contracting like I'm still feeling a lot of pain. They told me I was fine, you know, maybe like, six hours later I came back to the hospital because I was in so much pain. And I remember the doctor, a white male doctor, saying to me, you're back. And I was like, Yes, I'm in a lot of pain. And I remember him saying to me, Well, you're not in labor. You just left right. And at that time, you know, I had state medical insurance. So, you know, looking back on it, I could see so many things, you know, I was young, you know, I had, you know, Medicaid, and, you know, so he didn't believe me. And, you know, they had someone, you know, check to see how much I was dilated. And I just hear people like yelling and rushing. And my child was coming out, and I had him in my T shirt. And, you know, I had just turned seven months. He was two pounds, nine ounces, wow. So that was, you know, that was a very, you know, difficult time, because if I was listened to and, had my needs met, My baby could have been in there a lot longer, and we could have avoided so, so much, so many medical issues over the years, so much stress, so in in a lot of like trauma, honestly, for him and for me. So it definitely impacted me. And this is another reason why you know this is so real to me and I'm I'm so passionate about it, because I feel like when you go to a hospital to get help, you should be listened to, no matter you know how you look or your income level, you should be supported and you should have quality, quality care.

Nancy Barrow:

Well we appreciate that you shouted out Connecticut Paid Leave during your announcement of the Black Maternal and Infant Health Caucus. We thank you for that. But can you tell me how you see Connecticut Paid Leave helping your constituents in in Middletown, or the people that you talk to or the people you run into?

Rep. Kai Belton:

Yeah, yeah. So, when I think about Connecticut Paid Leave, I think about how important it is, you know, it's a huge support for working families, for caregivers and and those who are managing serious health conditions. You know, you think about, like we just said, about bonding with a new baby or caring for a sick family member. You know, these scenarios could leave some people homeless, and in these, you know, really bad situations if, if they don't have the support like Connecticut Paid Leave provides. So, you know, working people can, can have that time to to deal with these, you know, serious illnesses or domestic violence, or, you know, mental health needs without the loss of income. And I think that that is extremely important. When someone is experiencing domestic violence like they're they're in crisis right there. It's the traumatic time. They're in crisis, and this can look like, you know, severe anxiety and depression, and you still have to take care of your children, right? You have to make sure that they're in school, or they have childcare, or they're that they're, you know, cared for in some kind of way. You might have physical injuries that you're trying to tend to. You're fleeing a situation, so it could be a shelter or some place that's unfamiliar to you. So you're you're having to adjust yourself in your family. So these are all things that take time. Time is so valuable and it is needed to start this long hailing journey, right? Because it's only the beginning. So those 12 days you know, of of you know, time and income replacement. That is a lifeline for folks. It really is.

Nancy Barrow:

Yeah, I think it's amazing that you're doing the work that you do in the legislature, and then you're doing this really important work. You know, working for CCADV, you're, how does that not burn you out?

Rep. Kai Belton:

So people ask me this all the time. So first I want to say this. I don't, I don't think a lot of people know this, but legislators make no money.

Nancy Barrow:

You're a really active politician. You're you're active on your socials and and the state website. Why is that important to you?

Rep. Kai Belton:

When you said something about this earlier, I I laughed a little because that took time, because at first I was like, why is this important? Like, I just want to do the work, right? Yeah, I'm not a social media person. I don't like to typically do interviews or anything like that. I'm like, I just want to do the work. But you know, someone said to me, and it really clicked, people elect you, and they expect that you are up there doing the work. But how are they going to know? How are they going to know what you're doing? Like you need to keep them informed. You need to keep talking to them. You need to keep telling them what's going on. They need to see you, and that is important to me, that is important that my constituents know that I am up here working for them, that that's why you know. That's why I do try to be active on social media now.

Nancy Barrow:

I'm not trolling you, but I did go to your social media and I saw that you had a picture with US Senator Cory Booker, and of course, he's so amazing anyway, but the filibuster was just ridiculous, right? Did he offer you any advice, or was it just a quick meeting for you with Cory?

Rep. Kai Belton:

He did. He's amazing. Like he listened to my whole story about how I because when I met him, I was probably a legislator for like, three or four weeks, right? So, you know, we talked about Q and, you know, and I told him, You know, I'm completely out of my comfort zone here. And he was like, but you're here. And he was like, and I know you feel like those are big shoes to fill. And he was like, but don't worry about that. You'll find your own path, you know? And I remember him asking me, so what are you passionate about? And I was like, everything. It's like, yeah, you're going to be around for a while. So I actually have that picture up in my office, because, you know, we I feel like the talk we had was very inspiring, but it also just hearing his story and how he got into politics was just inspirational, and he's someone that I really, really look up to. So yeah, I have that picture here. I have cues picture here in my office, and, you know, sometimes I yell at the picture, sometimes, and I'm smiling at the picture, and I'm saying, I hope you're proud you know.

Nancy Barrow:

What are you really proud of that you've accomplished so far Representative Belton?

Rep. Kai Belton:

So I'm proud of myself for showing up. It's hard sometimes it really is hard when this has not been your life, like I have lived a quiet, you know, behind the scenes life, and I show up for the State of Connecticut every single day, and I'm really proud. I'm really proud of that.

Nancy Barrow:

What would you like people to take away from this podcast, during maternal mental health month ?

Rep. Kai Belton:

Mental health complications and conditions are leading cause of death or birthing individuals, and you know, anyone that's giving birth deserves a healthy pregnancy, a healthy birthing experience. So I just encourage people to use your your voice, you know, in your family and in your community, on the state level, just advocating for this issue and anything else that you're passionate about, just, you know, use your voice. But I think a lot of times, people don't understand, you know, how serious the mental health conditions can really impact people who are pregnant and who have already given birth, because we know most of the time it's after that mom or birthing person has has given birth that you know these things occurred.

Nancy Barrow:

Yeah, and that's why bonding leave is so important, right? So they can take, they can take that time away and really just focus on themselves getting better and healing and and that little baby, that new addition to their family.

Rep. Kai Belton:

Yes, yes, start that healing journey and bonding with that baby. You know, I look at it like this, you know, we have healthy mom. We have a healthy baby who grows to be a healthy young adult and then a healthy adult. We have healthier community. We have a healthy state, healthier state, and it all starts with that mom before she even get before she's even pregnant, right? You know? So we, we have to look at it like that. Like, this is not just, you know, this is not just one, you know, incident or situation this. This is like, throughout the lifespan, we're creating healthier, healthier communities.

Nancy Barrow:

Time flies, Representative Belton, but are you thinking about running again in 2027?

Rep. Kai Belton:

Absolutely.

Nancy Barrow:

Oh, that's awesome. That's fantastic. We need more women like you. You are just really amazing. And I really want to thank you, State Representative Kai Belton of the 100th district in Middletown for being on The Paid Leave Podcast. I know your time is really precious, and I'm so thankful that you came in and and talked to me.

Rep. Kai Belton:

Thank you for all of the work you do. And you know, Connecticut Paid Leave, this is an invaluable resource to our state, so thank you.

Nancy Barrow:

This has been another edition of The Paid Leave Podcast. Please like and subscribe so you'll be notified about new podcasts that become available. Connecticut Paid Leave is a public act with a personal purpose. I'm Nancy Barrow, and thanks for listening.

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