After witnessing how overwhelming the first days of parenthood can be — especially for families leaving the hospital without the basic supplies or guidance they need — Ella Barrett-Chan decided something had to change. Now an obstetrics and gynecology resident, she is the founder of Backpacks for Babies, an initiative providing comprehensive newborn kits and practical health education to help ease financial strain and reduce inequities during the postpartum period. What began as a grassroots response to a clear gap in care has already supported more than 100 families across BC, with plans to expand distribution even further. In the interview below, Barrett-Chan shares how the project started, the impact it’s having, and how readers can help ensure more new parents feel prepared, supported, and connected from day one.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
Backpacks for Babies supports new parents by providing comprehensive newborn kits filled with essential supplies and practical health education. The project focuses on reducing financial stress, improving equity in early parenting resources, and empowering families during the postpartum period. Through collaboration with healthcare and community partners, this work helps ensure families feel supported, prepared, and connected during a critical stage of life.
What problem does it aim to solve?
It aims to address the financial, practical, and informational barriers that many new parents face during the postpartum period. Families may leave hospital without essential newborn supplies or clear guidance, which can increase stress, worsen health inequities, and contribute to preventable complications. The initiative works to reduce these gaps by ensuring all parents have access to basic resources and reliable health information at the start of their parenting journey.
When did you start/join it?
I started this initiative when I was a third-year medical student, after witnessing firsthand how many new parents felt overwhelmed and unprepared when leaving the hospital without essential supplies or adequate support. Seeing the stress this caused, particularly for families facing financial or social barriers, highlighted a clear gap in care beyond the clinical setting. I created the project to address this inequity by providing both practical resources and health education, helping parents feel supported, confident, and better prepared during the early postpartum period.
What made you want to get involved?
I have always been interested in ways that we can help patients as healthcare providers outside of a purely clinical setting. Now, as an obstetrics and gynecology resident, it is this drive to help patients in a well-rounded approach that makes me love my job!
What was the situation like when you started?
When I started, I was working in a hospital setting and repeatedly saw new parents experience significant stress and anxiety after delivery because they did not have all the basic items or information they needed to care for their newborn. Many families were navigating financial strain, limited social support, or uncertainty about what was required in the first days at home. There were few coordinated resources available to address these gaps at the point of discharge, leaving parents to manage these challenges on their own during an already overwhelming transition.
How has it changed since?
Since starting the initiative, families who are given our backpacks now leave the hospital with access to comprehensive newborn kits and practical health information that help reduce stress and uncertainty during the postpartum period. What began as a small, grassroots effort has grown into a structured, community-supported program with partnerships across healthcare and local organizations. Most importantly, parents now report feeling more prepared, supported, and confident as they transition home with their newborns, helping create a more equitable and compassionate start to family life. So far we have helped over 100 families in BC!
What more needs to be done?
100 families are just a drop in the bucket! We are actively working to create more backpacks, distribute to more hospitals and share our initiative with more interested people!
How can our readers help?
Readers can help by supporting and amplifying this work in a variety of ways. This includes contributing financial donations, sharing the initiative with community networks, and helping connect the project with potential partners or sponsors. Readers can also support systemic change by advocating for policies and programs that improve access to postpartum resources and reduce inequities for new parents.
Do you have any events coming up?
We are starting our Fraser Health Distribution in the next few weeks, so stay tuned to see these backpacks at Royal Columbian Hospital and other Fraser Health sites!
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
We love Baby Go Round! They work in a similar capacity to us, supporting families with items like strollers and cribs!
