Howard County prides itself on being one of the healthiest communities in the country, and yet we have exactly zero maternity clinics who will see ALL women within our county borders. As a result, many pregnant women seeking care have to travel outside of Howard County in order to get basic prenatal services – which is not only inconvenient, but often impossible for many. Far too often, women do not get the maternity care they need until very late in their pregnancy, or sometimes not at all.

Sign this petition to bring a Maternity Partnership Program for prenatal and postpartum care in Howard County.

Many women without insurance are simply unable to get prenatal care in Howard County because it doesn’t exist for them. This lack of care disproportionately harms women of color, leading to poor birth outcomes, including premature birth, low birth weight and even infant or maternal death.

For many years, Montgomery County has offered an effective Maternity Partnership program with area hospitals that provides prenatal care to uninsured pregnant women. As a result of the program, 97% of babies born to Partnership mothers were born at a healthy weight. Similar programs exist in Washington, D.C. and Virginia as well. What are we waiting for in Howard County?