Project Motherpath

How we came to be. Project Motherpath first began in 2009 as BirthGirlz, a non profit organization working to normalize and revalue all aspects of motherhood through education, outreach, community building and activism. BirthGirlz was created by a pair of mamas (including our Executive Director Michelle Fonte) who wanted to organize a local revolution, and create change - one birth, one mama at a time. From protests to playgroups, the focus of Birthgirlz was on sharing resources and building a network to connect moms locally. Birthgirlz provided free community doulas, hosted monthly support groups for postpartum adjustment and infant loss, fundraised to increase women's access to vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) in birth centers across the State, conceived the 2010 and 2011 VBAC Summit conferences, and campaigned to save the nurse-midwifery service at Jackson South Community Hospital. Project Motherpath, the 501C3 non-profit partner and fiscal sponsor of Magnolia Birth House, is a re-visioning of Birthgirlz that maintains the core principles of activism and advocacy and refines the work to focus more broadly on the full spectrum of challenges facing mothers in Miami. The progress we have made along the way is due to the support and encouragement of our community - our moms and dads and babies, our staff, our mentors and our families. There is work still ahead of us. We have a long way to go still to make Miami a better place for birthing families and in order to get there we are going to continue to need YOUR support.

How We Currently Focus Our Work. Health inequities during the perinatal period, especially those that impact Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) have been well documented for decades. Community-led projects that further equity and social justice through program innovations that meet the needs and improve the health of historically marginalized communities are urgently needed. Families with sufficient resources have access to a variety of culturally matched services that are supportive and positively impact their pregnancy outcomes, establishing a firm launch into parenthood and early life for their newborns. Persons from low-resourced communities are more likely to enter pregnancy with less robust health, receive less prenatal care, and can have experiences during birth and postpartum that require more time and support for recovery. Yet, cost and availability limit access to evidence-based supportive resources for this challenging transition. Innovative midwifery-led collaborative care models have the potential to build on grassroots approaches to make transformative change within systems that work with families.  This is why Project Motherpath, is a fiscal sponsor for Magnolia Birth House, a community focused birthing center in northern Miami-Dade County.

Magnolia is committed to responsive healthcare within the community it serves, employing an interprofessional team that provides culturally reverent care. Only 2% of birth centers nationwide are Black owned. Magnolia is currently the only BIPOC owned birth center in South Florida; one of twenty currently open and operating in the entire nation. Midwifery care at Magnolia is rooted in the principles of justice, equity, and respect for human dignity and autonomy, while simultaneously informed by the use of evidence-based practice and research via a lens that centers the patient and family.

It is well established that black-owned and operated birth centers serving majority black families are primed to address the stark racial inequity in maternity care; however, the barriers remain—irrespective of commitment, dedication, and grit. It will require external investment (financial and human capital) to fully integrate into healthcare systems. Black-owned birth centers choose to serve their communities—all without shifting the financial burden to their patients.

We know that babies born to Black, Indigenous and People of Color in the United States are coming into a world that won’t always be kind to them. On the occasion of their birth, we must guarantee that our babies and new parents will be welcomed safely and surrounded by joy and peace and love. At Magnolia that means making mental health counseling available at no cost, providing nutrition education and support, offering midwife led prenatal care regardless of intended place of birth and guaranteeing doula care regardless of income level. We are hopeful that your donations will provide general operating support to help them achieve these goals. PLEASE DONATE!