Laguna Hills, California – May 18, 2010 – Community Alliance for Birth Options (CABO) (www.projectcabo.org), an organization established in 2008 to support the efforts of women and families to retain options for non-interventive care and acceptance for the philosophy of natural childbirth, announced today they have awarded Scholarships to three women in Orange County, California.

The CABO Scholarship was introduced last month at the Project CABO 2^nd Annual Fundraising event and Silent Auction at Nirvana Grille in Laguna Beach, California. The CABO Scholarship is designed to financially assist expecting women who have shown an interest in delivering their babies in a natural environment, including the use of a Midwife, Birth Center or Doula, but are unable to fulfill the birth plan due to financial hardship or lack of insurance coverage. Proceeds raised at the event were donated to the CABO Scholarship program.

 “We are absolutely thrilled and humbled that CABO was able to award three Scholarships to local women in need of assistance,” stated Mieke Johnson. “CABO is dedicated to helping women in our community. We strive to help each woman attain their birthing plan even if they are experiencing a financial hardship or lack of insurance coverage,” concluded Johnson. 

 The CABO Scholarships will be awarded on a quarterly basis. Recipients will be chosen based on a set of criteria outlined in the application in which their identities and the amount of the awards will be kept confidential.

 “We are looking forward to awarding the CABO Scholarships each quarter.  Each member of Community Alliance for Birth Options supports and believes in the Mission Project CABO advances,” added Mike Snell.

 To learn more about the CABO Scholarship program, criteria for the Scholarship, or are interested in submitting an application, please log onto: www.projectcabo.org.

 About Community Alliance for Birth Options (CABO)

Project CABO is a non-profit organization that supports the efforts of women and families to retain options for non-interventive care and acceptance for the philosophy of natural childbirth. The vision of CABO is to educate the community about the safety and efficacy of low intervention options for childbirth, provide acceptance and support for women who desire options AND to open the health care system for women to choose a setting that will match their philosophy. For more information please visit, www.projectcabo.org or call the CABO office at 949-215-7575.

-Reposted with permission and in support of Project CABO 5/17/2010. Beach Cities Midwifery and Women’s Health Care are not affiliated in any capacity with Project CABO.

Orange County, Ca- This year was a year capped by another significant event for Bj Snell. Besides opening a free standing birth center in 2009, she graciously accepted the nomination and award for Midwife of the Year 2009 by DASC,  the Doula Association of Southern California. DASC is a local non-profit promoting “birth on the human experience and society at large”. They provide a supportive forum for maintaining professional standards, continuing the education of birth and postpartum doulas, and informing the public of the benefits of doula care*.

This award is significant because to Dr. Snell “it shows how much support and promotion of non-interventive birth that DASC Doula’s bring to the local birthing community….It just demonstrates the need for this (Out of Hospital Birth) not only in Southern California but worldwide”.

Please visit the DASC website www.dascdoulas.org for more information about DASC awards and local DOULA’s in your area.

What’s next? 

The dedicated staff of the Birth Center is working everyday to become a contracted provider for some of the Insurance Companies their clients use, providing a facility and staff that are fully contracted and/or in-network will ultimately lower overall costs and hurdles that women face in the community.  Better options bring a better birth.