State of Birth Justice
A PLATFORM TO CHANGE LOCAL SYSTEMS
THROUGH POLICY CHANGE THAT ADVANCES BIRTH AND REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE.
State of Birth Justice
Key Elements
Center the deep connections we need to make health care work better for us
Vision power shifts, policy levers and tools that we can use, together
Hold and honor decades of expertise, complex system navigation, conflict and even - failures along the way
Towards more equity, justice and community power
approach
stance
Get in the zone
(Approach to Uncertainty)
strategy
Zoom out
(Your best choice)
tactics
Zoom in
(Who, What, Where)
point of view
Purpose (Why)
Key Policy Moments & WINS!
2010
First Elephant Circle Bill!
Passed a bill to prohibit shackling of incarcerated pregnant people
2011
Protect CPMs!
Passed a bill to prohibit shackling of incarcerated pregnant people
2015
Birth Center Regulation Improvement
Threatened to sue the state to improve birth center regulations (which were then improved)
2016
Protecting Midwives
Continue to improve regulations of Certified Professional Midwives and guard against undermining of their scope of practice (See HB16-1360)
2020
Care for Midwives & Birth Centers through pandemic
Call on the Governor to incorporate midwives and birth centers in pandemic planning (See this letter to the Governor)
2020
Birth Justice Policy Platform
Passed legislation for more humane treatment of substance use during pregnancy and articulated our first birth justice policy platform informed by community voices
2021
Birth Equity Bill Passes
Passed the Birth Equity Bills in Colorado
2021
Increase Access for Midwives
Improve regulations of community midwives to improve access and sustainability (See our comments in advance of the Sunset Report and SB21-101)
2022
CPM Convenings
Convene a group of CPMs to meet regularly and develop skills, capacity and leadership to address regulations, payment, legislation, defense and transfers
2022
Michigan Momnibus Launches
Supported Michigan State of Birth Justice to design and launch the Michigan Momnibus
2023
Passed bill protecting pregant and postpartum people
Passed a bill creating a presumption against incarceration of pregnant and postpartum people
2023
Protected Legal Rights of Midwives
Achieve department agreement to include CPMs as Medicaid providers (See this report). Support inclusion of the Certified Midwife (See SB23-167) in CO, a third midwifery type along with the Certified Professional Midwife and Certified Nurse Midwife
2024
Expanded Representation of Midwives in Boards & Commissions
Study closures, better understand care assets and deficits. include midwives in Environmental Justice Advisory Board, the Health Equity Commission, the Emergency epidemic response committee (HB24-1262)
Highlight RESOURCE
state of birth justice Workbook
What if...
we co-create a policy blueprint, together?
our lived-experience with systems makes us uniquely situated to change policy?
people are at the center of policy design?
policy felt like possibility?
Our work around the U.s.
