At the heart of the ROE Center’s philosophy is the concept of reproductive justice – that all people have the right to make fully informed decisions about pregnancy care, to choose how and where to give birth, and to raise their children securely. We believe that access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare is a human right, regardless of income.

 

The ROE Center was founded in 2020 with the overarching goal of improving access to reproductive healthcare in Alabama, a state boasting myriad issues relating to reproductive healthcare, including the third highest maternal mortality rate in the United States – a rate that disproportionately impacts Black families. Birth centers have been shown to improve outcomes for birthers and babies, yet many lower-income Alabamians do not have access to a birth center or other comprehensive reproductive health services. The ROE Center aspires to ensure that every patient, regardless of income, is fully empowered and supported in reproductive choices and options, including access to the innovative model of care available through a birth center.

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The ROE Center supports reproductive choice and improvements in maternal health and birth outcomes in North Alabama via grants for lower-income patients who seek prenatal, birthing, and/or post-natal care, and for medical and nursing trainees who seek training opportunities in reproductive healthcare.