Alabama
Pregnancy Support Groups

Alabama Department of Human Resources can help you with issues of pregnancy, parenting, foster care, and adoption.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency designed to protect the health and safety of all Americans and to provide essential health care information. It is an excellent website covering a wide variety of heath and disease issues and is valuable whether you live in Alabama or any other state or country.

Council for Developmental Disabilities in Alabama has several programs to help parents and children who have disabilities. For other Alabama disability organizations visit this Alabama link and the link special financial programs in Alabama.

Drug Prescription Assistance Programs provide free or low-cost medications to low-income individuals and families. Click on the Alabama drug prescriptions link.

Free Medical/Dental Clinics in Alabama provides you with information about free clinics.  Click on the following link for states other than Alabama.

Government Benefit Programs is an excellent website for finding government programs to help you and your child. Simply go to the site, fill out the questionnaire and the site will list all the national government programs for which you qualify. Additionally, information on financial aid and other U.S. government benefits are listed by agency and subject matter on the U.S. Government benefit website.

Health Insurance information and help is available for pregnant women, birth mothers and their children.

Medicaid Program in Alabama can help you If you are not able to afford to pay for medical care.

MedlinePlus, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, has baby care and health related information from a variety of sources. It has extensive information from trusted sources on over 700 diseases and conditions. There are also lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, and health information from the media.

National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program provides free or low-cost mammograms and pap tests for women who cannot afford breast exams or Pap smears. Visit Alabama NBCCEDP.

National Organization for Rare Disorders patient assistance program offers free medication to people who otherwise cannot afford their medications. Patients must meet financial and other program specific criteria to be eligible for assistance.

Prescription Drug Assistance. Some states provide prescription drug assistance to women who are not covered by Medicaid. Additionally, many drug companies will work with your doctor or health care provider to supply free medicines to those in need. 

Reduced Cost Health Care at Hospitals: Hill-Burton facilities are hospitals and nursing homes that have received money from the federal government and now must provide a certain amount of free or reduced-cost health services every year to those who cannot pay. You may apply for Hill-Burton assistance at any time before or after you receive care by simply asking for Hill-Burton assistance. To obtain a list of Hill-Burton facilities in your area or for more information on the Hill-Burton program and how to get free or reduced-cost health care go to www.hrsa.gov.

Special Electricity and Heat Help in Alabama: Many states have laws or programs that can keep your heat and electricity from being turned off if a member of your family would be endangered if the temperature is not controlled.  We suggest you check the link and call the Alabama Department of Consumer Affairs/Services for more information.  You can also contact one of the members of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency.

Child Nutrition Programs in Alabama: U.S. government information on health and state agencies administering child nutrition programs.  In Alabama the contact for this program is:
Child Nutrition Programs
Alabama Department of Education
Gordon Persons Building
50 North Ripley Street, Room 5301
Montgomery, Alabama 36130-2101
Phone: 334-242-1988

Food Banks in Alabama serve hundreds of churches and other nonprofit agencies in distributing free food to those in need. Additionally, the phone book is a good place to find local churches, synagogues, and food kitchens that may be able to help you with food and clothing needs. We have listed a few Alabama food bank websites to help you get started, but there are more if you take the time to search for them.
Food Bank of North Alabama
United Way of Central Alabama
Montgomery Area Food Bank
Bay Area Food Bank
West Alabama Food Bank

Food Stamps Program in Alabama: The US Department of Agriculture's Food Stamp Program helps low-income people and families buy the food they need for good health. You apply for benefits by completing a State application form. 

Nutrition Assistance Programs in Alabama: The US Food and Nutrition Service provides children and low-income people access to free food, a healthful diet, and nutrition education.  Programs include the Child and Adult Care Food Program. and the Emergency Food Assistance Program. To find out more about these programs in Alabama, contact the Alabama Department of Education, the Alabama Department of Health, or the Alabama child welfare agency. Note: If these state agency links have changed, you can find the numbers in your Blue pages of the telephone directory or by calling you local operator. 

Women, Infants and Children (WIC) in Alabama: The Alabama Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children provides free food, nutrition counseling, and referrals to health and other social services to participants at no charge. WIC serves low-Income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, and infants and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk. Click on the following link for the WIC program in a state other than Alabama.

World Hunger Year website provides a list of resources for food that can make your search for food assistance easier.  Additionally, the America's Second Harvest website can help you find a food bank or food-rescue organization that serves your local community.

Being pregnant can be exciting or anxiety producing depending on what your plans are and your situation in life.  Our goal is to help take away some of your worries so you can focus on the proper care of both you and your baby.  The initial step of course is determining if you are pregnant. The next step is helping you understand pregnancy symptoms, the stages of pregnancy, and what to expect.  Next, we would like you to know that financial help and medical help are available for pregnant women as well as information to help you with nutritional and emotional issues. One of the most important things you can do for the health of both you and your baby is to have prenatal care and testing. You may find additional help at our pages on support groups and resources for pregnant women.

For many women giving birth to a child can be scary. One of the best ways to conquer your fear is to understand as much as possible about pregnancy, the labor and delivery process, about hospital or birth center births, and about birth plans. We suggest that you also visit our site PregnancyAndChildren.com for information to help you understand all about pregnancy, the when, why and how of  induced labor, of having a natural birth, having a cesarean birth and of having an episiotomy.  And of course it is always helpful to understand in advance how to deal with the pain of delivery, what an APGAR score is, issues surrounding bonding, and whether breast feeding or formula feeding is best for you and your baby.

Tax Credits, Exemptions, and Refunds:Many states have their own Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Child Care Credit and Dependent Care Credit. You may be able to file for these credits on both in your state and federal taxes. Last year over 600,000 families did not take advantage of $238 million in tax refunds for Child Tax Credit.  Contact the Alabama revenue office for more information.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA), created by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service offers free tax help to low- to moderate- income (generally, $39,000 and below) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. To locate the nearest Alabama VITA site, click on the Alabama VITA link.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence or has a  child who is being abused, or is in danger of being abused, there are shelters where you can stay and 24-hour hotlines you can call for help.

No matter how hard you try, sometimes you may feel the need to reach out for help and advice in dealing with child development concerns, child health issues, emotional problems, parenting, finding a therapist, and more. If your child is adopted you may have special concerns which we address at our website Adopting Family Resources and on the Alabama adoption support groups page.

The following is a list of local, state and national support groups that may be able to help you.

American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 pediatricians that can help you with information about most child health related concerns.

BirthMotherMinistries.org Birth mother Ministries, Inc. is a non-profit, volunteer-based, organization dedicated to providing nonjudgmental assistance to any woman facing an unplanned pregnancy.

Birth Mother Assistance contains information on all aspects of pregnancy all the way through labor and delivery. It also includes information on where to get medical, financial, nutritional and emotional help. The site unique in that we have presented the information on a state-by-state basis. All you have to do is click on your state and you will find answers to many of your questions.

Birth Mother Resources is a website that can help any woman who wants to know more about her pregnancy, about raising her child herself, or about placing the child for adoption with a loving family.

BirthRight.org Birthright International provides support to girls and women who are distressed by an unplanned pregnancy and are looking for alternatives to an abortion. Hotline, free pregnancy tests, medical assistance, legal assistance, financial assistance, educational assistance, maternity and baby clothes, housing assistance, and referrals to social agencies are all available.

CafeMom focuses on creating a website where mothers can come to get advice, feel supported, and just relax in their role as a parent.

Crisis pregnancy center locator, and Life Call and Option Line are resources for a U.S. birth mother and Ramah International and Option Line  are crisis pregnancy center resources for a Canadian birth mother. A crisis pregnancy center can offer support, practical help, and options counseling.

DailyStrength.org is an internet network of people sharing their experiences and giving their advice and support.

Etters.net is for teen mothers.  It provides resources for teenagers, including on-line pregnancy test and other help by email or telephone.

NurturingNetwork.org offers help, and a toll-free phone number, regarding medical and financial assistance, nurturing homes, educational programs, employment, adoption, and preparation for parenthood.  The objective of the Nurturing Network is to ensure that every woman knows that the resources she needs in order to continue her pregnancy are available.

Parenting Chat Room is an internet site where members can to talk about pre-conception, pregnancy and parenting.

Pregnancy And Children is a comprehensive website that can help any teenager or any woman who wants to know more about her pregnancy, about the child she has delivered or may give birth to in the near future, about raising her child, and about her other options.

Teenage mother help:  This website is designed for young mothers and mothers-to-be who plan on raising their child. It hopes to support, inform, and connect young mothers so they can better face the challenge of parenting. The site provides free services like young mother discussion/chat groups, a weekly chat with other mothers, a pen pal directory, and links to helpful sites, resources and information.

Teenmoms.ourfamily.com provides fetal development information, chat options for teen mothers, and links to pregnancy centers and shelters.

Women’s Government Health offers financial aid and help related to a woman's pregnancy, prenatal care, preparing for a new baby, and the care of her baby.