The Birthing Project USA Mission

Our mission is to assist local communities in improving their health status by addressing the systemic causes of their lack of well-being. The systemic causes usually include: lack of education, lack of social justice, and economic disparities—compounded by institutional, political, and personal barriers.

Birthing Project USA:
The Underground Railroad for New Life

Birthing Project USA is the only national African-American maternal and child health program in this country. We are a volunteer effort to encourage better birth outcomes by providing practical support to women during pregnancy and for one year after the birth of their children.

The first Birthing Project began in Sacramento, California, in 1988, as a community service project comprised of volunteers Sister Friends who provide one-on-one support to pregnant teens and women to lower infant mortality. The Birthing Project concept has grown into a nationally recognized model, which has been replicated in over 70 communities in the United States, Canada, and Honduras.

This sisterhood of Birthing Projects is provided with technical and practical support through our national resource center and is known throughout the country as Birthing Project USA: The Underground Railroad for New Life.