The American Association of Birth Centers is a non-profit membership organization founded by Childbirth Connection (formerly the Maternity Center Association) under a grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation of New York.
For close to 30 years, the American Association of Birth Centers has been the nation's most comprehensive resource on birth centers. AABC has built a solid
foundation for growth in birth centers by:
- Promoting state regulations
- Advocating for insurance reimbursement
- Developing a quality improvement program
- Establishing national standards
- Establishing recognized accreditation through the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers
- Providing an annual forum for discussion of issues
- Educating parents, professionals, and policy-makers to the birth center concept
- Conducting major research
- Developing industry indicators
Membership is available to birth centers, professionals, students, consumers, associations, or corporations who agree to the basic principles of the Association regarding:
- AABC Standards of care and safety
- Non-intervention in the process of natural childbirth
- A personalized approach to the care of families
- Elimination of unnecessary cost
- Participation of qualified midwives and physicians
Giving Parents the Tools They Need
"Birth is based on the conviction that since parents are going to make choices for themselves in any event, they should be given the fullest information, education, and tools for the task they are undertaking."
-Mary Lou Longeway, RN, MS