Maternity Home & Pregnancy Center
Two Programs. One Mission: caring for both mother and child.
A Place of Stability, Support, and New Beginnings
For more than three decades, The Northwest Center's maternity home has provided a safe and supportive environment for pregnant women facing homelessness or housing insecurity in Washington, DC.
Established in 1993, the maternity home expanded our mission beyond pregnancy support to address a critical need: helping women choose life without facing the loss of a safe place to live.
Our residential program has offered transitional housing for pregnant women and their children, along with individualized support to help mothers build a foundation for independence. Through professional guidance, practical resources, and ongoing encouragement, residents have worked toward goals including healthy pregnancies, parenting skills, education, employment, childcare, and permanent housing.
Our commitment has extended beyond a mother's stay. Continued support and relationships have helped women navigate the transition to independent living and strengthen their futures.
Restoring Our Home. Strengthening Our Mission.
The maternity home is currently closed as part of Restore NWC, our initiative to restore The Northwest Center and prepare for its next chapter.
As we move forward, our vision is to strengthen the maternity home program and expand opportunities for mothers and their children to find stability, build independence, and flourish.
While our facilities are undergoing restoration, our commitment remains unchanged: to honor life, support women, and help families flourish.
Help Restore the Maternity Home
Your generosity can help prepare The Northwest Center to welcome and serve mothers and children once again.
Supporting Women. Protecting Life. Strengthening Families.
Since 1981, The Northwest Center has provided women facing unexpected pregnancies with compassionate care, practical resources, and ongoing support to help them continue their pregnancies, welcome their babies, and build stable futures for their families.
At the heart of our pregnancy center has been the belief that supporting a woman means walking alongside her throughout pregnancy and beyond.
Our Step Up Program
A cornerstone of the pregnancy center's work has been the Step Up program, which provides individualized support to pregnant women and families with infants and young children.
Through monthly meetings with staff, women and families have received assistance in identifying their needs, establishing personal goals, and accessing essential resources. These services have included diapers, formula, baby supplies, and connections to prenatal care, childcare, employment opportunities, and community assistance.
The program has also provided education and guidance on healthy pregnancies, parenting, infant safety, and child development. Safe sleep education, including ways to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), has been an important part of helping families create safe environments for their children.
Historically, families have been able to participate in Step Up until their children reached two and a half years of age, allowing The Northwest Center to provide consistent support during the critical early years of childhood.
Building Stability. Strengthening Families.
Our work has always extended beyond meeting immediate material needs.
Through individualized guidance and lasting relationships, our staff and trained volunteers have helped women pursue education, stable employment, childcare, and greater independence.
Many families have remained connected to The Northwest Center even after completing the program, reflecting the trust and relationships built through years of compassionate care.
By helping alleviate immediate financial and material pressures, the pregnancy center has enabled mothers to focus on their long-term goals and create stronger foundations for themselves and their children.
Looking Ahead
The pregnancy center is temporarily closed as we undertake Restore NWC, restoring our facilities and preparing to strengthen the programs that have served women and families throughout Washington, DC for more than four decades.
Our vision is to build upon this foundation, strengthening our capacity to serve more women and children with the practical resources, individualized support, and opportunities they need to flourish.
Our commitment remains unchanged: to honor life, support women, and strengthen families.
Help Us Prepare for What's Next
Your generosity helps make the restoration and future of The Northwest Center possible.