Something short and sweet about beso

What is beso?

Birth Equity Statewide Operations for Birth Centers (beso) exists to provide operational Infrastructure for a network of community-based birth centers in Colorado.

beso’s goal is to coordinate resource distribution, logistics, information, communications, and people, to build infrastructure for community birth and health care in Colorado. This work is rooted in improving perinatal care in the United States: the status quo outcomes are poor and inequitable.

We want to make sure people have access to the best, so we can save and improve lives, especially for communities of color who are more impacted by the current inequities. Birth centers and midwifery-led care consistently out-perform the status-quo. Midwifery-led care is the gold standard and has been optimal throughout human history, but the vast majority of people do not have access to this.

Our Work

beso supports infrastructure for community birth. As of early 2023, the network Includes A Mother’s Choice Birth Center (AMC), Seasons Community Birth Center (SCBC), and a developing birth center in Pueblo, CO, supported by Elephant Circle, Birth Center Equity and Orchid Capital Collective. Through this network we are also cultivating a learning community, developing regional strategy to support community birth, and increasing community birth training opportunities, especially for communities of color.

beso will be comprised of representatives from the community, staff at each birth center site, Elephant Circle, other Colorado health and reproductive justice organizations, and partners from outside Colorado. beso consists of multiracial, LGBTQIA+, rural, and inner city community members.

Our Need

$4M in 2024

We need funding to support the ramping-up of services across all sites. We also expect additional workforce will be needed to develop the leadership of people of color in an industry marked by low numbers of people of color due to built-in racism.

In 2023 raised over $500,000 not including almost $25,000 in donations from over 50 small donors. We estimate the total initial fundraising need to be $4 million for the first stage of development. We expect these sites to be sustainable within 5 years of providing services.

  • beso holds an annual meeting every year. At the annual meeting the group Identifies needs and priorities for resource distribution, fundraising, logistics, information, communications, and human resources throughout the network. From there, each site will align their planning to the overall priorities. For example, statewide grants will be coordinated, whereas local grants may be handled at each site, large galas and fundraisers will be coordinated. When something may impact the whole network, beso is involved. The first annual meeting happened in August 2023.

  • There is a workforce shortage of midwives, and midwives of color in particular. For example, there are only 100 midwives in Colorado who specialize in community birth. This means that the ecology will not have the optimal workforce for some time. beso aims to develop the workforce locally and nationally and put strategies in place to usher us through this transitional phase and move toward the optimal workforce.

    Elephant Circle will provide training to sites that will help address these workforce issues. During the start-up phase site staff, including midwives, are Elephant Circle staff. Elephant Circle staff will do outreach, research, training, policy work and lobbying for the whole ecology.

    beso’s role in personnel is to help set standards for hiring and management in alignment with the mission. This will provide a guide so each site can be confident that their process is equitable and aligned with the needs of the ecology.