Birth Center  Week 2026

Theme: Birthing Love, Birthing Power September 14 - 20, 2026

The Story of Birth Center Week

Birth Center care is community care, and there is a place for everyone in the community. Research shows that birth center care improves birth outcomes and increases overall satisfaction for families.

The Vision: Birth Center Awareness Week began with the vision of China Tolliver, artist and birth justice advocate, in conversation with Leseliey Welch, CEO and Co-Founder of Birth Center Equity (BCE).

The Legacy: The first Birth Center Awareness Week was celebrated in 2023, and this year we’re thrilled to continue building on that legacy. Together, we honor the role of birth centers in transforming care and creating spaces where all families are truly beloved.

Midwifing Justice is a new animated video produced by Birth Center Equity in collaboration with the award winning artistic team at Sharp As Knives (www.sharpasknives.com). Midwifing Justice evokes the power and beauty of a world where Black, Indigenous, people of color live in safety, abundance, and liberation, creating a pathway for safety, abundance, and liberation for all. Birth Center Equity is proud to release Midwifing Justice as part of Birth Center Week 2023 (www.birthcenterweek.org). Narrated by midwife Marinah V. Farrell. #MidwifingJustice #BirthCenterWeek #BirthCenterForEveryCommunity

2026 Birth Center Week Events

  • Lactation Basics for Doulas

    🗓️ Date: Sept 11, 2026
    📍 Location: Virtual
    💰 Tickets: Free

    Register Here

  • Batter Up for Birth Centers – Bronx

    🗓️ Date: Saturday, Sept 12, 2026
    📍 Location: Archie Spigner Park
    💰 Tickets: 215.37

    Register Here

  • Batter Up for Birth Centers

    🗓️ Date: Sunday, September 19, 2026
    📍 Location: Citi Field
    💰 Tickets: $215.37

    Register Here

Join the CAB (Community Advocates for Birth Centers)

Change is the only constant. Let’s work together to create the change we want to see in our community. We need you to make it happen. Are you in?

Join Our CAB here
Join Our Fatherhood Program

Our 2026 Birth Center Week Sponsors

Our 2026 Birth Center Week Sponsors

Birth By Queens Birth and Wellness Center

Birth By Queens Birth and Wellness Center

New York Presbyterian - Queens

New York Presbyterian - Queens

What should you know about Birth By Queens?

  • Our Vision

    A birth center is a stand alone facility that provides holistic prenatal, birth, and postpartum services in the community. Our vision is for families to receive consistent welcoming, inclusive, and supportive care that is personalized, and tailored to families unique needs and experiences.

    The birth center would not only address the immediate healthcare needs of families disproportionately effected by the maternal health crisis but also work to rebuild communities that have been set aside and broken by a system not designed for them and provide them with the resources that they need.

    Our goal is not to fix the Black Maternal Health crisis but we hope to be an aid in the solution. The ultimate goal would be to improve maternal outcomes, reduce infant mortality rates, and empower families to thrive not just survive.

  • Our Lens

    We have had the privilege of working alongside some of New York City's most dedicated doulas. We've witnessed firsthand the impact of mistreatment on families, and we've also seen the transformative effects when patients and clients are given autonomy. Simply put, magic happens. Families gain the confidence to trust themselves throughout the process, free from the fear of unnecessary interventions.

  • Our Goals

    Birth will be just the beginning of the services we provide. We will offer a wide range of wraparound services that not only meet the needs of families but also align with their interests. We are deeply passionate about what matters to the community, and we strive to shape our offerings based on their values and preferences.

    The added bonus will be it is close to home. Decreasing the number of families that are having births outside of the community.

Meet Our Families

Since our official launch in March 2025 we have been busy supporting families one baby at a time.

See Our Impact

Since our official launch in March 2025 we have participated in a number of community initiatives. See a glimpse of our community footprint.


  • Birth and Postpartum Doula Client

  • Behind The Joy - Long Island Premiere

  • The Order of the Eastern Star Electa Chapter - Health Fair

  • Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York - Lay Day Presentation

  • Rally #1 for Maternal Death of Tenesha Evans

  • Queens, NY Sign Unveiling

  • Divine Health Presentation at New York National Panhellenic Council Meeting - Manhattan, NY

  • Teen Parent Presentation - Voyages Queens

  • WENYC Lighting Pitch

  • Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Meeting - Albany, NY

  • Senator Gianaris Meeting - Albany, NY

  • Senator Rachel May and Assemblymember Anna Kelles Rural Resource Fair - Albany, NY

  • Senator Webb - Rural Resource Fair

  • Birth By Queens Birth and Wellness Center speaks on Million Dollar Staircase with Mobilize Maternal Health Coalition - Albany, NY

  • Can We Talk? Black Women In Leadership - York College Queens, NY

  • The THRIVE Tour - Christian Cultural Center Brooklyn, NY

  • The THRIVE Tour - Staten Island, NY

  • Childbirth Education - Tribeca Pediatrics Jamaica

  • Mama Glow Black Maternal Health event - Brooklyn, NY

  • Rally #2 for Maternal Death of Tenesha Evans

  • Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. Theta Rho Sigma Chapter April Showers - The Door Bronx, NY

  • Black Maternal Health Week Symposium NYC Health + Hospitals Harlem - Manhattan, NY

  • Senator Comrie - Easter Egg Hunt

  • Councilwoman Dr. Nantasha Williams

  • Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman - Easter Egg Hunt

  • Birth By Queens Book Buddies Reading - Mama ,I want to be a Midwife.

  • Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Delta Beta Zeta Chapter Community Baby Shower - U.N.I.T.Y. FEC

  • The Harding Ford Vision, Inc Baby Program - Queens, NY

  • Queens Borough President Black Maternal Health Roundtable

  • Birth By Queens Book Buddies Reading - The Family Book

  • Fidelis Community Baby Shower - Queens, NY

  • United For Progress Democratic Club, Inc. - Queens, NY

  • Addisleigh Park Civic Organization Health Fair

  • Rally #3 for Maternal Death of Tenesha Evans

  • Suffolk County Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Task Force - Suffolk County, LI

  • Aids Walk 2025 Central Park - Manhattan, NY

  • Senator Jamaal Bailey - Dance To Save The Day

  • NYPD Community Baby Shower Coop City - Bronx, NY

  • NYPD Community Baby Shower PAL - Manhattan, NY

  • NYPD Community Baby Shower YMCA - Staten Island, NY

  • Al Noorani Islamic Center of Staten Island Eid Festival - Staten Island, NY

  • NYPD Community Baby Shower Woodside YMCA - Queens, NY

  • NYPD Community Baby Shower Chelsea Piers - Brooklyn, NY

  • Passport to Wellness - P.S. 223 Q

  • New Jerusalem Worship Center Health Fair

  • Senator James Sanders Fathers Fest - Queens, NY

  • Assembly Member Khaleel Anderson Fathers Fest - Queens, NY

  • Juneteenth In Queens - Queens, NY

  • Wellcome Care 1 Year Celebration - Queens, NY

  • Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez NYC Doula Roundtable - Manhattan, NY

  • Staff Meeting Senator Kirsten Gillibrand - Washington D.C.

  • Staff Meeting Senator Charles Schumer - Washington D.C.

  • Advocacy Trip The White House - Washington D.C.

  • Congressional Briefing: Solutions For Scaling Up And Maximizing Evidenced-Based Midwifery and Birth Center Care Cosponspored by AABC, ACNM, BCE, NAPCM, PICBM - Washington D.C.

  • Black Spectrum Theatre Jazz Festival - Queens, NY

  • Divine Health Pitch - UBBLS North Carolina A & T

  • Birth By Queens Birth and Wellness Center Vendor Uplifting Black and Brown Lactation Success - Greensboro, NC

  • Divine Health Pitch Rhoyalfest 2025 - Queens, NY

  • 35th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival - Queens, NY

  • Friendly Church Back To School Block Party - Queens, NY

  • Queens Borough President Community Baby Shower - Queensbridge, NY

  • Harding Ford Vision, Inc. Baby Program - Queens, NY

  • Black Breastfeeding Week Celebration - Manhattan, NY

  • Black Breastfeeding Week Celebration - Brooklyn, NY

  • Friendly Church NY Mother's Day Birth By Queens Presentation - Queens, NY

Why do we need a birth center?

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    We love Diversity Queens is home to 2.4 million people , 140 + languages, but have access to only 1 birth option.

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    Personalized, Family-Centered Care
    Care is tailored to the parent’s preferences and cultural needs, promoting dignity, autonomy, and shared decision-making.

  • ✽

    Holistic and Continuous Support
    Midwives offer physical, emotional, and educational support throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, fostering continuity of care.

  • ✽

    Home-Like, Calming Environment
    Birth centers provide a peaceful, non-clinical setting that helps reduce stress and supports natural labor progression.

  • ✽

    Improved Birth Outcomes
    Research shows birth center care is associated with fewer complications, higher breastfeeding rates, and greater satisfaction among birthing people.

  • ✽

    Cost-Effective Care
    Without unnecessary medical interventions, birth centers can significantly reduce the cost of childbirth while maintaining safety and quality.