Homes for unwed mothers question

[nodehopper]

The Shrub mentioned them again last night.
Does anyone know, do such homes currently exist, as parts of faith based initiatives or not, or is this something he's got planned for our Handmaids Tale future?

any info or links would be apprectiated

[libertad]

1. That is a good question. I've been very concerned about this.

Have you ever watched "The Magdalene Sisters" about these types of institutions in Ireland (that were just closed in 1996, by the way)?

[rowire]

2. Reminds Me Of Steve Martin Joke

He claimed to be active in assisting unwed mothers. Specifically, he helped them get their start as unwed mothers.

[displacedtexan]

3. The Lena Pope Home in Fort Worth is where W. and Laura went...

when they were having trouble conceiving. This "home" is a major baby selling enterprise, where they match the genetics to the baby buyers: hair color, projected height and weight, etc.

Granted, the birth mothers are paid handsomely and pampered every step of the way, but I still have a major problem with the baby broker biz.

[noonwitch]

4. Yes, they do, and they are for girls who have nowhere else to go

The Salvation Army has the Booth program, and there are other places. These programs are generally state licensed and treat the girls well. They are places that help young women learn the things they need to be independent and to provide for their babies. If the young woman wants to place her child for adoption, they will help her do that, too. There are also foster home programs in most areas in which the young woman and her baby can live together.

[InkAddict]

10. Booth Memorial

During the mid to late '70s both of my children were born at Booth Memorial Hospital (Cleveland). This was once a home for unwed mothers, but before it closed it ran like a private non-profit hospital and took insurance (BC/BS). It is now closed, but I believe that I received excellent care at this hospital.

In '79 the hospital had just opened up a home-like "birthing center" to keep up (actually they were the first in the area w/one) with the Joneses. Since we lived about 30 miles from the hospital, when baby #2 was born, the admin. was kind enough to ask my husband to stay overnight w/me in the unit because they needed the regular beds for new moms and I was on my way home next day, and all at no extra charge. Needless to say, my nurses earned quite a large bouquet of roses. I had heard that at Euclid General, women often labored in the hallways and had no room at all until delivery.

[skygazer]

5. I'm not sure how prevalent they are now

They were very much so in the 70's when I was growing up. The idea was to shunt the shameless wench off somewhere so that her family didn't have to live with the indignity of her swelling belly besmirching their good name in the community.

My aunt worked in one, the Elizabeth Lund Home in Burlington, VT. While she tried to maintain a positive environment, it was essentially a juvenile home for pregnant girls and she recognized that. I knew a couple of classmates whose parents sent them there - they felt like outcasts from their home, ostracized and sent away at a time when they most needed their families love and support.

And while Bush claims this will cut down on the number of abortions, he doesn't state how it will. Certainly, many girls would rather get an abortion than be sent away like a criminal. No, it's obvious to me that the plan is to take away their choice in the matter.

It's a medieval concept and based on the idea that sex is shameful for girls (you notice there is never a mention of the father of the child).

[MARALE]

6. This really scared me

I don't know what they are, but it brought up middle ages homes for wayward women.

[RobinA]

7. They Aren't Really

"homes for unwed mothers" in the old-fashioned sense where some middle class girl who has disgraced the family goes to have the baby so no one in her community will know of her sin.

What does exist is more like a home or part of a group home where a girl who is already in a group home can go while she is pregnant and has a very young child. Most of these homes consist of girls who are already in "the system," but can't be in a normal group home or foster home because of the pregnancy issue and so she can be taken care of with the respect to having a healthy baby. This also helps for homeless girls.

The sense that Bush is using it, as an alternative to abortion, makes no sense at all. Your average girl doesn't have an abortion because of shame, she has it because she realizes she cannot care for a baby for whatever reason. Homes for unwed mothers don't make it any more sensible for a 10th grader to have a baby.

[Warpy]

8. Florence Crittendon homes are still around

as homes for undwed mothers and adoption agencies. I believe some of them offered abortion services back in the early days of Roe v Wade, but I doubt they do now.

Do a Google search of these places. Most of the hits you get will be from mothers desperately searching for their children and childrent desperately searching for their blood relatives. Closed adoption was and is an evil system that served no one but the adoptive parents, and then not well.

This is what he wants for young women who commit the sin of sex, banishment to a dormitory facility, forced childbirth, and separation from their children. He is an evil man.

[sybylla]

9. There is a home here in my central Wisconsin community

They provide free living quarters and support services (some volunteer, some paid staff) for baby sitting, meals, tutoring/education assistance, faith-based counselling and more. They also arrange for donated baby goods like strollers, cribs and such. They are supported by church groups in the community and the United Way.

But I don't know exactly what you have to do to qualify for help from them. I don't know if they take teen moms or if they only take young adult women. And I don't know at what point of the pregnancy they take women in.

[SoCalDem]

11. The "homes" of the 30's,40's,50's,60's were about BABY-SELLING

and shame.. Young "supposedly virginal" GIRLS were sent there by their families to avoid the stigma of teen pregnancy..

The "cover stories" were varied...visiting a sick relative, travelling with a relative, etc..but the result was always the same.. a "suddenly chubby" teen girl went away for a few months, and came back, slimmer, but sadder..

Since there was extreme SHAME attached, "it" was never talked about again.. The baby just was gone forever.. The girl was made to feel ungrateful if she even ASKED about "it"..

The homes were there for the purpose of making money.. Parents gladly paid to have their "little tramp" relieved of her shameful burden, and the bonus for the home was a cute little white baby that they could sell find a good home for..

Usually the girls were drugged during delivery, and never even got to hold their baby.. It was all a bad dream, and a few days later, they went back home, where they were expected to just pick up where they left off..

The climate of the time dictated that they tell NO ONE.. These girls often went on to marry and have a family, and NEVER tell even their husbands. Some waited until they were grandparents to tell, because they wanted desperately to find that grown child.

There are old women dying every day, who never found their "lost babies"...

[Lydia Leftcoast]

18. The sense of shame was so great that

when Oregon proposed opening up its adoption records so that adoptees could find their blood relatives if and only if the birth parents consented, the most opposition came from older women. Some of the older women I talked to were so vehement in their opposition that the former unwed mothers wouldn't want to be "shamed" that I had to wonder whether they were talking about their own pasts.

The younger women (fifties and younger) couldn't figure out what the big deal was.

[TahitiNut]

12. Here's a list ...

ALABAMA

* Birmingham
Alabama Baptist Maternity Home

ARIZONA

* Chandler
Jesus Cares Ministries, Inc.

ARKANSAS

* Fort Smith
Hannah House

CALIFORNIA

* Long Beach
His Nesting Place
New Life Beginnings Mothers Home
* Mar Vista
Rose Vista
* Santa Ana
Mary's Shelter
* Santa Barbara
Villa Majella
* Santa Monica
Harvest Home

COLORADO

* Aurora
New Beginnings: A Home for Mothers
* Bailey
Mary's Choice
* Wheat Ridge
Shannon's Hope Maternity Home

FLORIDA

* Bradenton
Manasota SOLVE
* Cape Coral
Lifeline Family Center
* Florida City
Haven of Hope
* Gainesville
Arbor House
* Jacksonville
Divine Mercy House
* Orlando
Jireh Ministries
* St. Augustine
Alpha-Omega Miracle Home
* Tampa
Alpha House


GEORGIA

* Macon
Hephzibah Children's Home
Nazareth Maternity Home
* Palmetto
TLC2 Maternity

INDIANA

* Evansville
Life Choice Women's Center
* Jeffersonville
Childplace/ Bales Maternity Cottage
* New Albany
St. Elizabeth's Regional Maternity Center


IOWA

* Des Moines
Ruth Harbor

KANSAS

* Hays
Mary Elizabeth House

LOUISIANA

* Tallulah
Sellers Maternity Home

MAINE

* South Portland
Faith House

MARYLAND

* Hyattsville
St. Ann's Infant and Maternity Home

MASSACHUSETTS

* North Chelmsford
Live Saver Ministries

MICHIGAN

* Ann Arbor
Father Pat Jackson House
* Grand Rapids
Omega Maternity Home

MINNESOTA

* St. Cloud
New Beginnings
* Winona
Grace Place

MISSOURI

* Dutzow
Voelkerding Village
* Kansas City
Highlands Maternity Home
LightHouse Ministries
* St. Charles
Bright Futures Maternity Home

MONTANA

* Helena
Florence Crittendon Home

NEW HAMPSHIRE

* Hillsboro
New Beginnings His Mansion Ministries

NEW JERSEY

* Flemington
Friendship Center for New Beginnings

NEW YORK

* Carthage
Brook Haven House

NORTH CAROLINA

* Asheville
Baptist Maternity Home
* Charlotte
Florence Crittenton Services
* Raleigh
The Christian Life Home
* Salemburg
The Royal Home

NORTH DAKOTA

* Fargo
The Perry Center

OHIO

* Celina
Harbor House
* Hamilton
John Henry House
* Mentor
Hannah's Home
* Worthington
New Hope Maternity Home
* Vienna
New Life Maternity Home

OKLAHOMA

* Oklahoma City
Holy Family Maternity Home

OREGON

* Bend
Grandma's House
* Gresham
Bethany House

PENNSYLVANIA

* Enhaut
Lourdeshouse Maternity Services
* York
Cornerstone Maternity Home

SOUTH CAROLINA

* Blackville
Butterfly House

TENNESSEE

* Nashville
Mercy Ministries of America

TEXAS

* Abilene
Christian Homes
* Austin
Sarah's House
Marywood Children & Family Services
* Dallas
Promise House
* Denton
Elizabeth Home
* Euless
Mercy House
* Fort Worth
Gladney Center
* Lubbock
Smithlawn Home
* San Antonio
Methodist Mission Home
* Tyler
Living Alternatives
* Waxahachie
Hannah's Home

VERMONT

* Johnson
Lamb's Maternity Home

VIRGINIA

* Charlottesville
Emmaus with Child
* Lynchburg
Liberty Godparent Home
* Paeonian Springs
Jeremiah House

WASHINGTON

* Spokane
Life Services of Spokane Maternity Home
* Woodinville
Special Delivery

http://www.maternityhomes.com/

[nodehopper]

19. thank you

thank you

[DrWeird]

13. Reminds me of the "orphanages."

remember when Gingrich wanted to take children away from poor people?

[phylny]

14. Sorry to veer off topic here, but I have a question.

Making a bold assumption that many (but not most) abortions are sought by unmarried women, where's the initiative to make men either STOP having sex with women who aren't their wives or START using contraception?

Are Republican organizations doing anything to educate men? Where's the outcry about all the men who are impregnating women who want abortions?

What? They're not educating men? There's NO outcry?

I'm shocked ;)

[MaryH]

15. Men won't ask directions to get across the street -

how many do you think are going to ask directions for getting birth control.

[MsAnthropy]

16. This is so disgusting

What century are the repukes living in? Homes for unwed mothers and orphanages? It's 2004, pregnancy is not a disease or something to be hidden or ashamed of. The rich are definitely different from us. We don't have the option of sending the children to boarding schools and being bothered by them only on holidays.

[TexasSissy]

17. I think they're helpful when girls have nowhere else to go.