The Kentucky Birth Coalition (KBC) is a consumer led grass-roots organization working to expand and improve birth options and outcomes in the Bluegrass.
The KBC began as Kentucky Home Birth Coalition in 2012 when several parents and midwives got together to address the issue of licensing for Certified Professional Midwives. The initiative expanded over the next several years with the addition of a professional lobbyist and many consumer advocates.
In 2019, our first major success was achieved with the passage of SB84 to license CPMs in Kentucky. Shortly after we changed our name to Kentucky Birth Coalition to reflect our focus on the expansion of all birth options, not just home birth.
Since the passage of SB84, we have worked on the creation of the CPM Advisory Council under the Kentucky Board of Nursing, Medicaid coverage of LCPM services, and birth center access.
Kentucky Home Birth Coalition was certainly not the first organization to advocate for birthing families in Kentucky. Over the past four decades, several iterations of consumer groups have fought for access to midwives. KHBC and KBC are simply the latest iteration of this, and we honor those who came before us in this work.