Direct Relief and Birth Center Equity award $250,000 to expand maternal care

Direct Relief is expanding its support for maternal and newborn health in the United States through new investments in nonprofit community birth centers serving medically underserved communities. Through a new partnership with Birth Center Equity (BCE), the organization has awarded five grants totaling $250,000, according to a press release by Direct Relief. The recipients operate in Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and Washington. The funding will support expanded prenatal, birth, postpartum, and preventive services tailored to each community. The initiative aims to strengthen trusted, locally rooted maternity care.

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries, with significant disparities in outcomes for Black and Indigenous mothers. Nearly seven million women live in maternity care “deserts,” where access to obstetric services is severely limited or nonexistent. Communities nationwide continue to experience shortages of maternity care providers and postpartum support. Community birth centers, led primarily by certified nurse-midwives, certified professional midwives, and certified midwives, help address these gaps. Research has linked midwifery-led care with lower rates of cesarean birth, fewer low-birth-weight infants, increased breastfeeding, and higher patient satisfaction.

The grants form part of the inaugural Community Health Awards: Improving Family Wellbeing Through Community Birth Centers, a collaborative initiative developed by Direct Relief and BCE. BCE is a national organization strengthening community birth infrastructure through a network of more than 70 birth centers led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color across 26 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. It supports birth centers and their leaders with resources designed to expand access to safe midwifery care. The awards reflect a shared commitment to equitable maternal health. All five recipients serve communities with distinct needs.

The inaugural recipients include Mujeres Ayudando Madres in San Juan, Puerto Rico, expanding maternity care partnerships in rural communities, and Birth Detroit in Michigan, broadening midwifery-led services and introducing well-person care. Breath of My Heart Birthplace in Española, New Mexico, will expand culturally responsive services for Indigenous communities, while Aya Birth and Community Wellness in North Carolina will grow its freestanding birth center and volunteer outreach. South Seattle Women’s Health Foundation in Washington will extend continuity of care through a child’s first five years.

“Every mother and every baby deserves the opportunity for a healthy start, and that begins with access to quality care from people they trust,” said Amy Weaver, Chief Executive Officer of Direct Relief. Leseliey Welch, Co-Founder of BCE, added that community birth centers are “built in response to the hopes, dreams, and needs of the communities they call home.”

In addition to grant funding, all five organizations will be eligible to receive donated medicines and medical supplies through Direct Relief’s U.S. safety-net healthcare program. Together, the recipients provide care spanning pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and longer-term family health. The partnership channels resources directly to organizations rooted in the communities they serve. A second round of Community Health Awards is planned for 2027. The initiative underscores a sustained commitment to equitable maternal and newborn care across the United States.