the birth trust
2015 annual report

Over the last ten years, as key midwifery organizations have created new coalitions and strategies to increase their impact, FAM has worked to strengthen the infrastructure and to support the professionalization of the midwifery movement.  This requires far more resources than FAM has had to date. For this reason, FAM is working hard to identify other partners to invest in midwifery and midwifery-related organizations.
And, of course, we engage in fundraising from individuals and organizations for the money we grant to projects. Our biggest grant recipient continues to be the MANA Division of Research.  Their grants consistently rank highest among the Birth Trustees voting.  FAM also funds other MANA projects, various AMO grants, Home Birth Summit Collaborative initiatives, and seedling grants.

Historically, midwives have been FAM’s strongest supporters.  But midwives cannot fund this change alone. FAM works hard to reach midwifery  consumers the very people most likely to know the benefits of midwifery care and to support it.  With greater resources imagine the change we could make in quality care for childbearing families.  Please visit our table during the convention to find out ways you can become involved, and if you are not a Birth Trustee, please sign up!

Come meet our new Executive Director, Tamara Wrenn who has served on the FAM board since January 2011. She is a maternal and child health consultant and President of the Childbirth Education Association of Metropolitan New York and enjoys teaching Zumba.

FAM is launching a new social media campaign to raise consumer awareness about the need for increased access to midwifery care. Please support this critical work. We are asking everyone to take #shoeselfiesformidwives as they #standforbetterbirth and share with their Instagram and Facebook followers. Come to our table for more information.

FAM makes grants in four key areas to improve access to midwifery care: public policy, public education, research, and birth equity.

Moving beyond the data collection silo: 
Accelerating MANA Stats data analysis and publication

Archive Critical Documents and Record History of the MANA DOR

Public Education for Greater Collaborative Engagement

For lobbying expertise to pass H.R. 1976, the Access to Certified Professional Midwives Act of 2013.

For lobbying expertise to pass H.R. 1976, the Access to Certified Professional Midwives Act of 2013.

To Addressing identified barriers to accreditation of midwifery schools

Uzazi Academie, and community based model for those least able to access midwifery education

Supporting the Participation in Listening to Home Birth Mothers and Listening to Mothers of Color surveys

Mapping Access to High Quality Maternity Care Across Birth Settings

To provide nutritional counseling to pregnant women in at-risk neighborhoods in Brooklyn, NY

To validate and publish the 4.0 MANA Stats data set

To support the operations and expansion of the MANA Stats data collection

To build capacity for MANA’s Public Education & Communications Program

For lobbying expertise to pass H.R. 1976, the Access to Certified Professional Midwives Act of 2013.

To answer consumer demand for CPMs by addressing barriers to midwifery program accreditation

To broaden the community birth worker training program curriculum

To disseminate the Best Practice Guidelines: Transfer from Planned Home Birth to Hospital

To create a web repository on midwifery education, competencies, and scope of practice for policy makers.