A maternity home is a residence for pregnant women. The number of homes has decreased over the past two decades, and existing homes often have a waiting list of women. This decrease has been attributed to the decriminalization of abortion, availability of the birth control pill and other changes in society.
The women who live in a maternity home may pay a small fee or no fee to live in the home and they often apply for public assistance and Medicaid payments. The women who live in a maternity home may be adults or adolescents. They may also be teenage foster children who are wards of the court, if the maternity home has a license for group foster care. In many situations, in addition to birthing classes and counseling that are provided at the group home, the women that live in maternity homes may also be involved in some type of vocational or educational programs, such as a program allowing her to complete high school or her GED.
