Midwives Access Program

Providing Financial Relief for Expecting Mothers

Giving the Power of Choice

Many families face insurmountable financial barriers when seeking midwifery care. Understanding the critical importance of choice in childbirth and the disproportionate impact these barriers have on BIPOC women, the Safer Birth Foundation has created the Midwives Access Program. This program serves as a lifeline for expectant mothers, offering quality midwifery care to women who are low-income. By reducing financial burden, the Safer Birth Foundation empowers women to make informed decisions about their birthing experiences, promoting autonomy and equity in maternal healthcare access.

In Ohio, the infant mortality rate rose to 7.0 per 1,000 live births in 2021 (14.2 for Black infants), while the maternal mortality rate is 32.9 per 100,000 live births. These rates are disproportionately higher among people of color, with Black and African American mothers experiencing 5 times higher risk compared to their white counterparts. As more than 50% of recipients are people of color, the Safer Birth Foundation’s Midwives Access Program is crucial in addressing these disparities in healthcare access.

Midwife Access For Those on Medicaid

Reach Out for Support

By supporting expectant mothers who rely on Medicaid, the Safer Birth Foundation contributes to efforts aimed at addressing disparities in maternal healthcare access. This assistance represents a critical step towards promoting equity in childbirth experiences, ensuring that all women, regardless of their financial circumstances, have the opportunity to access safe, respectful, and empowering maternity care.

In 2023, the Safer Birth Foundation’s Midwives Access Program offered direct care to 15 expectant mothers, all dependent on Medicaid for healthcare coverage. Because Medicaid doesn’t cover the costs of midwifery care in Ohio, the Safer Birth Foundation was able to raise over $39,000 to cover the cost of these individual’s midwifery care. The Program enabled pregnant individuals to receive quality midwifery care at very low to no cost ($500-$3000 is the typical sliding scale, based on their application). Midwifery care is associated with better outcomes and more personalized support

Make a difference to those around you.

Give and Make a Difference

The Safer Birth Foundation is actively engaging in strategic fundraising efforts, with notable progress made this year. These contributions are crucial in advancing our mission of providing equitable access to midwifery care for all individuals, regardless of their financial circumstances. Through initiatives such as grant writing, donor engagement, and fundraising events, we are diligently working to secure the financial resources needed to sustain our operations and continue supporting expectant mothers through this program. Additionally, we are developing innovative childbirth education programs aimed at generating revenue for the Safer Birth Foundation, which will further bolster our capacity to fund the program and expand our impact on maternal healthcare access. This continued support ensures that the Safer Birth Foundation can maintain accessibility to midwifery care for all women.

Presently, the Safer Birth Foundation faces a challenging financial situation exacerbated by several factors. The Safer Birth Foundation struggles to raise enough funds to meet demand. With increasing inflation and rising healthcare costs, more and more families are struggling.

Ongoing Impact

The Safer Birth Foundation anticipates positive outcomes for expectant mothers supported by the Midwives Access Program. With a focus on providing comprehensive midwifery care, we expect high rates of normal spontaneous vaginal births, increased patient satisfaction, and reduced rates of postpartum depression among recipients. Our outcomes for the past five years have been equal to other accessible midwifery care practices such as Jennie Joseph’s Commonsense Midwifery Easy Access Clinic. Our cesarean rate for the past 5 years has been less than 6% and our preterm birth rate for our program participants has been zero. Participants have reported high rates of satisfaction with care.

We aim to foster a supportive environment for breastfeeding, promoting maternal and infant health. Through participation in the American Association of Birth Centers Perinatal Data Registry, SBF seeks to contribute valuable data to ongoing research efforts in maternal healthcare.