---

---

Birth Circle Bylaws

Birth Circle Board Retreat Results

The first thing your board did was to establish what is central to the Birth Circle as an organization, so that as new people come and go, we can keep sight of our core values. We agreed that:

We value . . .

• Supported, empowering, respectful and healthy childbirth as a normal part of life.
  

• Informed choice through education found in personal stories and evidence-based information.
  

• A safe birth for all mothers and babies.

• The collective wisdom and care provided by a strong network of partners, friends, caregivers and mothers.

. . . and we honor a diversity of backgrounds, experiences and choices.

It was great to remember what we stand for and to be able to turn to it when making decisions about how we manage our time and financial resources. 

We also thought about how our organization has grown a lot in the past years and future possible directions.  We specifically looked at how as our organization grows so does the workload, and we have reached the point where we would like to be able to compensate our extremely hard-working director.  We decided to go ahead and dream big for our three-year goals.

Here’s what we came up with for the organization for 2007 and beyond:

3) We would like to increase the number of doulas and independent childbirth educators in the area.  One way to do this would be to offer doula training.

4) We’d like to keep the central part of our mission healthy:  the monthly meetings to support birthing women in our community.

All of the work your board does in 2007 will be toward these goals.  Go to the "Contact Us" page to get ahold of any one of us and share your thoughts. 

BIRTH CIRCLE ANNOUNCES NEW PROGRAM  --

CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION CLASSES
OR DOULA/BIRTH HELPERS FOR WOMEN IN NEED

As part of our commitment to provide area expectant moms with a wide range of birth and pregnancy information, The Birth Circle has decided to fund the majority of the cost of independent childbirth education or doula/birth helper services for three women, beginning in 2006.

KEY ASPECTS

Services Covered: The recipient decides whether she wants to receive childbirth education or doula/birth attendant services for a token fee. This program does not pay for midwifery or medical services.

Application Criteria: The applicant must meet five main criteria:

1. Complete the application.

2. Demonstrate financial need:

• If she receives public assistance, a photocopy of her valid Medicaid card, food stamps card, HUD voucher, or a letter from Job and Family Services about her use of JFS's services. (Please mark over the social security number so that it cannot be read.)

• If she does not receive public assistance, a photocopy of her 2005 federal tax return as evidence of her income being below the poverty level for a family of her size (pre-birth). (Please mark over the social security number so that it cannot be read.)

3. Be committed to paying $20 of her own money towards the cost of the service.

4. Have attended at least one Birth Circle event or meeting as demonstrated on the sign in sheet. It can be the same meeting at which she turns in the application.

5. Applicants with an official due date on or before December 1, 2006 will be given preference. We would like to be able to be billed for and to pay for the services by December 31, 2006.  Applicants with due dates after this will be considered on a first come/first served basis. 
   

Also, if she is under 18 years old or lives in a residential facility, she must also meet these criteria:

• Applicants under the age of 18 must have a letter of support from a parent or guardian.

• Applicants living in a residential facility must have a letter of support indicating the organization's ability to help her participate and providing a liaison with the service provider.

Recipient Selection: Applications must be complete. The administrator will select the recipients on a first come/first served basis. If there is more than one qualifying application received in a day, the mother whose official due date is sooner will receive the benefit.

A recipient will not be selected based on the type of birth she plans; whether or not she intends to breastfeed; whether or not she has a partner; whether or not the partner participates; whether or not she is a new mother or already has children; or due to any other similar characteristic of the mother.

The administrator will keep a waiting list and contact the next applicant on the list should a recipient not participate. If an applicant becomes eligible later and a spot opens and she has already paid the down-payment or the full bill for the services herself, she is no longer eligible to participate in this program, as she has demonstrated that she can pay for the services herself.

Application & Billing Process: Applicants can apply at a Birth Circle meeting or event or may mail or e-mail the application to the administrator. Date of receipt will either be the date of the meeting or event at which the full application is received or the postmarked date on the envelope of the date of the e-mail.

Within five business days, the administrator will let the applicant know if she is a recipient, or on the waiting list, or if she is not eligible. Once notified, the recipient selects a service provider and proceeds as she would if The Birth Circle were not involved.

The service provider contacts the administrator to let The Birth Circle know that the expectant mother will be working with her and to give The Birth Circle the expected participation and payment time line. (Payment of any deposit less the $20 and the remainder.)

The service provider contacts the administrator after the services have been completed and provides a final bill. Although the administrator tracks the time line to ensure proper and timely payment, it is the service provider's responsibility to bill The Birth Circle. All billing will come to the administrator, not The Birth Circle's executive director.

Selection of Service Provider: The relationship is purely between the recipient and the service provider -- The Birth Circle has no role in selecting the service provider. Also, The Birth Circle does not guarantee that the service provider will accept the expectant mother as a client.

The following independent service providers are participating in this program. The city listed is their base, but many travel throughout the area.

Childbirth Educators

• Brandi Holloway & Jenny Hughes, Informed Childbirth, Athens, 592-5875, hollowaygrady@yahoo.com

• Holly Poulson, Bradley Method, Marietta, 376-0446, hpoulson@charter.net

• Heidi Wilhelm, Hypnobirthing, Athens, 593-3618, haw1968@yahoo.com

Doula/Childbirth Helpers

• Crysta Bourdon, Marietta, 568-0134, crystabourdon@yahoo.com

• Angela Cross, Athens, 594-7511, cohosh@frognet.net

• Brandi Holloway, Athens, 592-5875, hollowaygrady@yahoo.com

• Tara Martin, Logan, 385-9238, mymangosteen_tara@yahoo.com

• Holly Poulson, Marietta, 376-0446, hpoulson@charter.net

Fundraising: Funds raised from the Shisha Cafe benefit and the Mingle with Mothers events will go towards this program. If we raise more money than needed to cover the costs of this service for three women, we will use the funds to meet the needs of more women on the waiting list.

Evaluation: We will evaluate this program when done and assess if we can offer it again and if grant or foundation funding might be available.

Administrator: The Administrator is Lucy Juedes, Birth Circle board member, 594-8039, lucyj@intelliwave.com, 5599 Gun Club Road, Athens, OH 45701. Because the Birth Circle's executive director, Brandi Holloway, is one of the possible service providers, she will not be involved in running this program and will receive the same information that board members receive, which will not include fee information.

Applications Available/Introduction Date: May 24, 2006, at the Birth Circle's May meeting, for our Four Year Anniversary, Athens Public Library, 7:00 - 9:00 pm.

Questions: Contact the administrator, any board member, or the executive director.

The Birth Circle's

CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION & DOULA/BIRTH HELPER

APPLICATION

Expectant Mothers' Name:

Mailing Address:

Phone Number:

E-mail Address:

Due Date:

Checklist

_____ Application (this sheet)

_____ Demonstrated financial need:

• Photocopy of valid Medicaid card or

• Photocopy of valid food stamps card or

• Photocopy of valid HUD voucher or

• Letter from Job and Family Services about use of JFS's services or

• Photocopy of 2005 federal tax return as evidence of income being below the poverty level for a family of her size (pre-birth).

(Please mark over the social security number in all documents so that it cannot be read.)

_____ Agree to pay $20 directly to the service provider towards the cost of the service

_____ Have attended at least one Birth Circle event or meeting (please give date and topic)

_________________________________________

_____ If you are under the age of 18, please include a letter of support from a parent or guardian

_____ If you live in a residential facility, please include a letter of support indicating the organization's commitment to help you receive these services and providing a liaison with the service provider

Please note: The Birth Circle does not guarantee that the service provider will accept the expectant mother as a client. The relationship is purely between the recipient and the service provider -- The Birth Circle has no role in selecting the service provider.

End of Application