C.A.R.E. Network is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of childbearing families in our community through education, support, and advocacy.Our Mission
We are a not-for profit, referral and membership organization dedicated to helping individuals and families have access to evidence-based information and compassionate support. Our members are diverse, but we all share a desire to provide evidence-based information and care to those we work with—from pre-conception, pregnancy, and birth through early parenthood. We work to promote and support doulas, midwives and other natural birth professionals. In addition, we provide continuing education and enrichment for birth and wellness professionals so they can better serve childbearing families in our community.
Our History
C.A.R.E. Network of Wisconsin, one of the country’s oldest birth networks, began in 1995 with a small group of Milwaukee area doulas who met in a member’s home for mutual support and promotion. Twenty-five years ago, the field of childbirth assistance was in its infancy and home birth midwives were not yet licensed in the state. Educating families and providers about the benefits of labor assistants/doulas and the midwifery model of care quickly became an integral part of our group’s mission. In fact, C.A.R.E. stands for Childbirth Assistance, Resources, and Education.
Since our humble beginnings, our membership has expanded from a handful of birth doulas to over 40 members, and now includes midwives, postpartum doulas, lactation consultants, childbirth educators, chiropractors specializing in pregnancy, acupuncturists, prenatal yoga instructors, placenta encapsulation specialists, prenatal massage therapists, owners of local free-standing birth centers, and other birth and wellness professionals. While much has changed since we began our work over 25 years ago, we remain as dedicated as ever to our mission. |
Board of Directors
Sasha Bariffe
Marcia Barritt Erin Cassidente Sabrina Foulks-Thomas Dana Hall Rita Kerhin Sheri Lee Kara Pitt-D'Andrea Coral Slavin Lucky Tomaszek Our volunteer Board of Directors has one scheduled meeting per year, and calls additional meetings as needed. |
All of the artwork on this website was purchased from The Educated Birth. Since 2017, The Educated Birth has created and curated hundreds of inclusive reproductive health illustrations and infographics featuring pregnant people, parents, and support people of different races, sexual orientations, body shapes and sizes, hair textures and styles, disabilities, and more. Cheyenne Varner, creator of The Educated Birth, says she feels that this is important because "an incredible number of people across a spectrum of identities and experiences have not been able to see themselves when learning about their bodies and navigating some of our most intimate experiences and decisions." You can learn more about The Educated Birth and the resources they offer on their site.
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