Virtual Rally For Birth Centers!
Wednesday 12/22 6:30 pm
Join birth practitioners, advocates, and community leaders for a virtual rally to show your support for A259a/S1414a https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3627229904
Join birth practitioners, advocates, and community leaders to ask Governor Hochul to sign the Midwifery Birth Center Accreditation Bill, A259a/S1414a into law before the year ends! This necessary bill willeliminate current barriers andempower midwives to open independent birth centers. Birth centers improve maternal outcomes at low costs, with respectful, personalized care, and have increased in demand during the Covid-19 pandemic. While other states such as California have over 55 birth centers, NY only has 3, none of which are led by midwives. Since midwives technically gained the ability to open birth centers in 2016, not a single facility has been able to open due to onerous regulations. The bill A259a/S1414a, sponsored by Assembly Member Gottfried and State Senator Rivera, has unanimously passed both houses of the state legislature, and signing it provides Governor Hochul the opportunity to take action to expand access to much-needed community birth settings!
#BirthCentersNOW #WeDeserveBirthCenters #SignA259aS1414a
We are encouraging every area to hold/host a mini-rally/photo op outdoors (Covid safe social distance or with a pod) to share on social media/invite the press to. The large in-person Albany rally was shelved due to Covid concerns. We would like to have different pods of action around the state highlighting communities that do not have a birth center- or where a birth center is currently being denied licensure, or unable to open or has been there and closed. OR, if she happens to sign it in the meantime, where a Birth Center WILL open!! And we can change our message to Thank you @govKathyHochul.
