GALS is very pleased to be working with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) in providing emotional, physical and informational support to empower the incarcerated pregnant people in Travis County through their birth experience. Our hope is that those who receive our support during their childbirth experience will have an increased belief and trust in themselves and their innate ability to parent after they are released. GALS is working to create a lasting impact that will change the culture of the community and create an infinite impact on the families of tomorrow.
Our dedicated volunteers ensure high quality support during pregnancy, birth and postpartum by:
Facilitating weekly support groups in the Travis County Correctional Facility:
The prenatal support groups create a comfortable and empathetic environment for people who are pregnant and incarcerated to openly discuss their fears and questions about pregnancy, birth, and parenting.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are provided at every group.
Resources spanning the body, the normal discomforts of pregnancy, how birth differs for someone who is incarcerated, breastfeeding, as well as informations on community wide programs that offer wrap around support once the families are released.
Providing continuous labor support at the hospital:
Nurses at the hospital notify the GALS dispatch line when an incarcerated pregnant person is in labor, so an approved volunteer can meet them at the hospital.
GALS provides continuous emotional, physical and informational support throughout their labor, birth and postpartum.
We hope to continue to grow this program by providing more frequent meetings, and offering programing at other facilities in Central Texas.
For more information about this unique opportunity, please contact Dominique Adeniyi at dominique@givingaustinlaborsupport.org.
Do you work at another local non-profit or community clinic and want to ensure GALS volunteers serve your clients?
We are always looking for ways to serve more families in Central Texas. Contact morgan@givingaustinlaborsupport.org or raichal@givingaustinlaborsupport.org for more information on ways we can partner!