On Detroit’s northwest side, a new chapter in maternal and family health is unfolding. Birth Detroit, the city’s first freestanding birth center, is more than a health facility. It is a space built with love, guided by community vision, and centered on the well-being of mothers, babies and families.

For new mother Rya Whitt, the experience was transformative. “As soon as I walked in, I fell in love with it,” she said. “The people there are so personable — you feel like you’ve known them for so long. It’s like walking into a family gathering with aunts and cousins instead of a medical office.”

Whitt wanted a natural birth and found in Birth Detroit a place where her wishes were honored. “It was a breath of fresh air,” she said. “My opinions were heard and respected. Everything on my birth plan went according to what I wanted. I felt very safe and very comfortable. If I don’t do a home birth again, I will absolutely go back to Birth Detroit.”

Her story is one of many that illustrate why the center is a cornerstone in creating child- and family-centered neighborhoods across Detroit. The Kresge Foundation’s Detroit Program has long emphasized that the city’s future rests on whether families believe they can thrive here. Birth Detroit contributes to that vision by offering care that is safe, affirming, and accessible.

A grassroots beginning

Birth Detroit was co-founded by a group of leaders determined to expand choices for families. Char’ly Snow, midwife and co-founder, recalls the urgency that led to its creation. “We were all doing the work, but really just fed up — sick and tired of doing the same thing, expecting a different result,” she said. “Midwifery was the untapped resource, and we knew it could move the needle.”

Before the center opened, the founders surveyed nearly 400 families. “Ninety-eight percent said yes, we want a birth center,” Snow said. “Then COVID hit, and people told us, ‘Remember that survey? Where are you all at? We can’t wait.’ That urgency showed how much families wanted safety, trust, love and justice in their care.”

Snow describes Birth Detroit as deeply rooted in community. The center bought its first Land Bank land parcels with the proceeds of t-shirt sales. “We have always been held by the community and guided by the community,” she said. “That is what makes this place strong.”

Beyond birth

Birth Detroit offers more than labor and delivery. Families receive lactation support, nutrition counseling, mental health resources and postpartum visits at home. Births at the center are delivered by licensed midwives, whose care is recognized nationally as high-quality and exceptional. Research has shown that midwifery care improves outcomes for both mothers and babies, while also fostering trust, respect and dignity in the birth experience.

For Whitt, this holistic approach was invaluable. “They really advocate for the mother,” she said. “So often, all the focus is on the baby, and moms get pushed to the side. At Birth Detroit, they made it clear that my well-being mattered just as much.”

Snow notes that these supports fill critical gaps in traditional systems. “Your milk doesn’t usually come in until 24 to 72 hours after birth, but most people are discharged from the hospital within 24 hours,” she said. “What systems don’t have is outpatient lactation support. At Birth Detroit, we do home visits on purpose, to make sure needs are met early. That changes outcomes.”

A vision for a softer place

For Leseliey Welch, co-founder and president of Birth Detroit’s board, the center is about reimagining what families can expect. “We should expect more than not to die,” she said. “Birth is one of the most sacred and memorable times in life. Everyone deserves care that is safe, respectful, dignified, affirming and loving.”

Welch emphasizes that midwifery care not only improves health but also shifts culture. “It changes what families know is possible,” she said. “Imagine how powerful we would all feel if we walked away from birth experiences empowered and free of trauma. That would change everything.”

Birth Detroit’s location reflects this philosophy. “Birth centers are supposed to be in neighborhoods,” Welch said. “Birth is supposed to happen where people live.”

Looking ahead, she envisions a full care campus. “Ten years from now, families should be able to come to one place for birth, well-woman care, early pediatric care, breastfeeding and parenting classes, even a community garden,” Welch said. “We want to change what our communities think is possible.”

Anchoring family-centered neighborhoods

Birth Detroit’s mission aligns with the Detroit Program’s strategy for child- and family-centered neighborhoods — places where families believe they are in the best possible environment to raise children. Research shows that families often make health, education and housing choices based on maternal experiences. By supporting mothers with affirming care, Birth Detroit strengthens entire households and neighborhoods.

The work also contributes to Detroit’s aspiration to become a designated child-friendly city, where systems are integrated and families can thrive. As Welch puts it, the goal is to create “a softer place” for parents and children, one that embodies joy as well as safety.

A model for the future

Birth Detroit demonstrates what happens when families, providers and philanthropy come together around love and equity. It offers a model for other cities seeking to retain and attract families by building neighborhoods where children can flourish.

For Whitt, the proof is personal. “Even after I gave birth, they kept checking in,” she said. “That meant everything, because postpartum struggles don’t always show up right away. My birthing experience was amazing. I would do it again and again.”

For Snow, it is about trust. “We want families to know this care belongs to them,” she said.

And for Welch, it is about the future. “We want gentle births, joyful parenting, and communities where reproductive justice is fully realized,” she said. “That should be the standard. That should be what everyone deserves.”