Our impact is not only measured in births attended, but in systems transformed.

From the beginning, Neighborhood Birth Center set out to build more than a building — we set out to change the conditions that shape reproductive health in Massachusetts. As we worked to open Boston’s first freestanding birth center, we came face to face with the structural barriers that make community birth difficult to sustain: unfair reimbursement, outdated regulations, and restrictions on midwife licensure.

It became clear that if we wanted a birth center to thrive — and for families to truly have options — we had to help reshape the policy landscape. Policy determines who can practice, who gets paid, what models are allowed to exist, and who has access to care. For us, advocacy is not separate from clinical care; it is how we ensure that equitable, community-based care can survive and grow.

Neighborhood Birth Center joins Governor Healey on the Grand Staircase of the State House as she signs the Massachusetts Maternal Health Omnibus bill into law.
(Photo by Stefanie Belnavis / Birthlooms)

NBC as a policy powerhouse

Neighborhood Birth Center was a leading advocacy force behind Massachusetts’ landmark maternal health legislation, signed into law on August 26, 2024. The sweeping Maternal Health Omnibus Act represents one of the most significant expansions of midwifery and community birth policy in the country.

Key victories include:

  • Licensure of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs), expanding access to safe, regulated out-of-hospital birth in homes and birth centers

  • Fair reimbursement for Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) under MassHealth, strengthening sustainability across hospitals, clinics, birth centers, and home birth practices

  • Modernized birth center regulations through the Department of Public Health, removing unnecessary barriers to opening and operating

  • Expanded support for perinatal mental health, doulas, postpartum home visiting, and other critical family supports

  • Leading advocacy on state budget funding that secured $2.65 million dollars for freestanding birth centers

These policy changes do more than support our organization — they expand access, strengthen the workforce, and move Massachusetts toward a more equitable maternal health system.

What comes next? 

Policy change is not a one-time achievement — it is ongoing work to build a system where community-based care can thrive. Neighborhood Birth Center is now advocating for equitable reimbursement across all midwifery and birth center services, ensuring that community birth is sustainably funded and fully covered.

We are working to meaningfully integrate community birth midwives into the broader health care system — strengthening collaboration, referral networks, and shared standards of care. We are calling for increased state investment in midwifery education, workforce development, and the infrastructure needed to support birth centers across Massachusetts.

At the heart of this work is a commitment to eliminating perinatal health inequities. We collaborate with clinicians, advocates, policymakers, and community leaders to ensure that policy solutions are grounded in racial equity and community voice.

Our advocacy model is gaining national and international attention. We have presented across the country and globally on the strategies behind Massachusetts’ policy wins, helping other states and regions replicate and adapt these successes.

We are building not only a birth center — but a blueprint for systems change.