The hardest part comes after everyone goes home.

We bring free prenatal and postpartum support, maternal mental health care, and early childhood guidance to families in rural Rhode Island — in their own homes, at no cost.

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Why we exist

A family in Foster or Burrillville comes home from the hospital to a house that is forty minutes from anything. No bus route, no postpartum group down the street, no one to call at 3 a.m. when the baby will not latch and the crying will not stop. That distance shows up in the outcomes — in untreated postpartum depression, in feeding given up on too early, in developmental delays caught a year late, in parents who quietly go without.

Beginning & Beyond Maternal Wellness Project was founded to close that gap. We are a Rhode Island nonprofit corporation providing free and low-cost prenatal and postpartum doula care, feeding and breastfeeding support, maternal mental health resources, and early childhood development guidance to families facing geographic isolation, transportation barriers, or economic hardship. We go to them.

Our vision: a future where no family navigates pregnancy, postpartum recovery, or a baby’s first years alone — where geography never determines the quality of care, and every rural parent is supported enough to thrive.

What families here are up against

Rhode Island recognizes 18 rural towns — Burrillville, Glocester, Foster, Scituate, Smithfield, and North Smithfield among them — home to roughly 196,000 people, about 18 percent of the state. The state’s own 2025 rural health assessment found no birthing facility in any of them, and a care system it described as functioning but fragile.

37%Fewer primary care physicians per resident in rural Rhode Island than in the rest of the state
ZeroPsychiatrists accepting Medicaid anywhere across the 18 rural towns
283Rhode Island infants and toddlers waiting more than 45 days for an early intervention evaluation
1 in 3Rhode Island mothers with a disability who report postpartum depression symptoms, against 1 in 9 without one

Distance multiplies all of it. A parent who cannot get a mental health appointment, cannot get a same-week pediatric visit, and cannot get an early intervention evaluation for months is a parent managing alone — which is exactly the gap a doula in the living room is able to close.

Sources: Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Rural Health Transformation Program application, November 2025; Rhode Island General Assembly H-5164, January 2025; Rhode Island PRAMS, 2016–2020, reported through the state Title V Maternal and Child Health program.

What we provide

Our work begins late in pregnancy and stays with families through the first weeks, months, and years at home. Every service is free or offered at low cost based on your circumstances. Doula support is non-medical and works alongside your doctor, midwife, or pediatrician — never in place of them.

Prenatal preparation: Home visits in the third trimester to get the household ready: what recovery actually looks like, what to have on hand, who to call, and a plan for the first two weeks.
Postpartum home visits: Help through the first weeks and months: recovery, newborn care, sleep, feeding, and a set of eyes on how the whole household is doing.
Breastfeeding & feeding support: Practical, judgment-free help with latch, supply, pumping, and bottle feeding, plus referral to a lactation consultant when you need clinical care.
Maternal mental health resources: Screening conversations, peer support, and warm handoffs to counselors and perinatal mental health providers who take your insurance.
Early childhood development: Guidance on milestones, play, language, and attachment from infancy through the toddler years, with early screening and referral when something looks off track.
Parent education: Small workshops and one-to-one sessions on newborn care, infant safety, sleep, and caring for yourself while you care for a baby — held locally or online.
Care coordination: Connecting families to WIC, home visiting programs, health centers, and transportation so nothing falls through the gap between agencies.

Who we serve

We work with expectant parents, new parents, and families with young children across rural northern and western Rhode Island. If you live outside these towns, reach out anyway — we will help you find support near you.

Smithfield
North Smithfield
Burrillville
Glocester
Foster
Scituate
Coventry

Requesting support

There is no application fee, no insurance requirement, and no income paperwork to start a conversation. Send us a note through the question form below or call, and someone will get back to you within two business days.

Services are provided without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.

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Donate

Every dollar goes toward care that families receive for free. We are small enough that a single gift is visible in someone's week.

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Other amount $

$100 covers one postpartum home visit, in the family's own home.

Payments are processed by our payment provider on a secure page. We never see or store your card number.

Other ways to give

Check. Payable to Beginning and Beyond Maternal Wellness Project, Inc. Email us and we will send the current mailing address.
Donor-advised fund. Recommend a grant through your sponsoring organization using our legal name and EIN.
Stock or securities. Transfer appreciated shares; we will send transfer instructions.
In-kind goods. New baby supplies, books, and office equipment that fit the mission.
Bequests. Include us in your will; we can provide suggested language.
Employer matching. Many employers double a gift. Send us the form and we will complete it.

Tell us about a gift

Use this if you are mailing a check, recommending a DAF grant, transferring stock, or offering in-kind goods, and we will follow up with instructions and a receipt.

Partner with us

Hospitals, health centers, WIC offices, home visiting programs, midwives, employers, faith communities, and funders — tell us what you are working on and where our families overlap with yours.

Ask a question

Questions about services, eligibility, volunteering, or donations. If you are a parent looking for support, this is the right place to start — we will reply within two business days.