National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW)

[Momzilla4]

This is another resource for mothers, an advocacy group

National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW)

http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/

"works to secure the human and civil rights, health and welfare of all women, focusing particularly on pregnant and parenting women, and those who are most vulnerable - low income women, women of color, and drug-using women."

" NAPW engages in legal advocacy that challenges efforts to criminalize pregnancy and motherhood, establish fetal rights under the law, and expand the war on drugs to women's wombs. NAPW provides litigation support in both civil and criminal cases across the country, particularly for public defenders and other local lawyers faced with cases that raise legal and medical issues with which they may be unfamiliar. This litigation support encompasses finding experts to testify, locating counsel, providing model briefs and research, and organizing opposition to punitive approaches through amicus (friend of the court) briefs and open letters from leading medical, public health, and child welfare organizations.

NAPW acts as national legal clearinghouse and back-up center for lawyers, defendants, activists, and researchers across the country. NAPW has a unique collection of model briefs and other materials offering legal, scientific, policy and advocacy information on the interconnected issues of reproductive rights, drug policy, birthing rights, public health, child welfare, race, and social justice.

Through its litigation and litigation support, NAPW has successfully challenged efforts to expand the war on drugs, has kept mothers out of jail and children with their families. NAPW uses each case as an opportunity to empower local activists and the women who are directly affected; to mobilize a growing number of medical, public health and social justice organizations; and to move academics, health care providers and educators to become effective political activists. Whether joining an amicus brief, writing a public letter opposing a prosecution, or preparing an analysis of a new policy, NAPW recognizes that these cases are not only about the woman charged - they are a part of a larger political effort to distract attention from the government's failure to support pregnant women, families and communities. No matter what our involvement, NAPW does not litigate and leave. We litigate and build."

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(Where they mention human rights, remember that your basic human rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 25) includes the right to ALL the financial support you require to keep your baby with specific mention made of unwed mothers. And the U.S. signed this thing in 1948.)

http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

" (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection."