Contact:
Mara Powell
mpowell@kyyouth.org

Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates

LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky kids’ health depends on access to safe and equitable care – beginning even before they are born. Senate Bill 17, sponsored by Senator Shelly Funke Frommeyer, will remove barriers to critical perinatal care options so that more Kentucky moms and their babies have the chance to thrive.

Freestanding birth centers are small health care facilities that offer a homelike environment for mothers with low-risk pregnancies to access prenatal care and to give birth. These centers result in fewer medical interventions, offer significant cost savings, and are associated with fewer low birthweight babies, especially among African American women.

Yet, Kentucky is among only 10 states that do not have any freestanding birth centers – many women crossing state lines to receive care in the setting they want.

With today’s passage by the Senate Health Services Committee, SB 17 is one step closer to removing barriers to establishing freestanding birth centers in Kentucky and offering pregnant women additional choices for prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care. We thank Senator Funke Frommeyer for championing SB 17 and we call on the Senate to ensure its advancement into the House so this legislation reaches the finish line by the final gavel in March.

Stay up-to-date on Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children priorities and other bills that are good for kids on our Kentucky General Assembly Bill Tracker.

###

About Kentucky Youth Advocates
Kentucky Youth Advocates believes all children deserve to be safe, healthy, and secure. As THE independent voice for Kentucky’s children, we work to ensure policymakers create investments and policies that are good for children. Learn more at www.kyyouth.org.