LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More than two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade -- allowing abortion restrictive laws in states across the country to go into effect -- one national activist organization is working to expand maternal health care access in four states, including Kentucky.
SisterSong, based in Atlanta, is funding full-spectrum doula and mental health services for new mothers and mothers-to-be in the state. The group tell WHAS11 that since 2022, the need for support has only become more evident.
"I think Kentucky has a lot of work to do," Deputy Director Leah Jones said. "Race doesn't really matter when it comes to who is in need in Kentucky."
Jones says the work of their Birth Justice Care Fund has gotten more intensive since Kentucky's strict abortion ban went into effect, with the only exception being to save the life of the pregnant woman. The Fund has been operating since the pandemic, focusing primarily on assisting people of color.
"Diapers, wipes, car seats, strollers -- basis essential needs," said Jones, who's a Louisville native herself.
The group has spent more than $200,000 in Kentucky alone, coordinating with birth workers who let clients know what's available to them.
"We also like to think of it as a community space for folks to be able to just feel seen and heard," Jones said while giving WHAS11 a tour of SisterSong's Louisville location.
Shanice Nelson is the founder of Anchored Beginnings Lactation Support, one of the organizations that partners with SisterSong. She educates and counsels women on breast feeding techniques.
Nelson tells us in-person education has never been more essential, especially for teenagers.
"They’re more so judged for being young and being a mom. I think it makes it even more challenging to ask for what you need," Nelson said. “I definitely think in terms of resources, we are behind a lot of our especially larger cities.”
In April, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers passed a bill aimed at lowering Kentucky’s maternal mortality rates. Among other provisions, it certifies pregnancy as a “qualifying life event” for health insurance coverage, and maintains a hotline for patients needing mental health services.
“We just wanted to codify this and make sure that this is something long lasting for moms," Kentucky Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser (R-Taylor Mill) said back in Feb. 2024 when the bill was being heard in committee.
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