In Richmond, Virginia, pregnant women and expectant fathers can find dozens of organizations, government programs and nonprofits that provide free or low-cost services, including free prenatal care to keep yourself and your baby healthy.
As Virginia’s capital, and the state’s fourth-most populous city, residents are also served by government-run nutrition programs which can help pregnant women find healthy eating options quickly, and then provide for their babies after birth.
You’ll learn about all of these resources, and find out how to take advantage of them, in this article.
Prenatal Care In Richmond
People in Richmond who don’t have health insurance can find free primary care at over 20 “safety net” health clinics, most of which offer well-woman and prenatal care. Together, this network of free or low-cost clinics is the best in Virginia, and a terrific resource for pregnant women in need of care, and interested in learning more about how to keep themselves and their babies healthy during pregnancy.
With 6 medical centers in the Richmond metro area, Capital Area Health Network (CAHN) provides direct access to excellent health care for under-served communities throughout the city. CAHN’s flagship office is the Vernon J. Harris Medical & Dental Center, at:
- 719 N. 25th Street
Richmond, VA 23223
(804) 780-0840
Funded primarily by federal grants, the Center accepts all insurance types and treats patients who are uninsured or underinsured on a sliding-scale fee basis, so the costs of any treatment you receive will be adjusted depending on your income.
Richmond is also home to Access Now, a free clinic offering specialized health care and run by the Richmond Academy of Medicine. Access Now works through the 20 “safety net” clinics servicing Richmond, but expands their care offerings to encompass numerous specialties.
There’s also a government-run option, through the Virginia Department of Health. While the Department has several locations throughout Richmond, their Richmond City Health District Patient Care Services clinic is the one that offers reproductive health care, including prenatal care for your baby. It’s located at:
- 401 East Main Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Walk in, sign up and you’ll be assigned a registered nurse who will personally work with you throughout the course of your pregnancy. The clinic’s newest program, Centering Pregnancy, creates groups of pregnant women who learn together about the major issues facing them. Group care like that has actually been shown to promote healthier pregnancy outcomes than individualized care.
Help With Parenting
Few people are born with an innate understanding of how to parent, and it’s completely normal to have thousands of questions about how to best raise a child. Those are the questions Commonwealth Parenting was founded to answer.
They offer classes, along with individual counseling, on numerous issues families and single-parents in the Richmond area. There are learning sessions on just about everything, from how to prioritize your child’s emotional and physical health during a divorce to finding creative ways to encourage a preschool-aged child to cooperate with you.
Commonwealth Parenting is based at the Children’s Museum of Richmond:
- 2626 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 545-1272
You can also call their Parent’s Tip Line, at (804) 545-1928, to have your questions answered quickly.
Counseling & Adoption Services
As a pregnant woman, or expectant family, you have many choices to think about it, and none of them are easy. Parenting, abortion and adoption – these are complicated issues that touch just as much on your values as they can impact the future of you and your child. Taking time, and getting professional help, to consider these options fully is absolutely essential.
Adoptions From The Heart, one of the largest private adoption agencies on the East Coast, works together with a network of professional consultants to help pregnant women in Richmond make smart, compassionate decisions about what to do.
You can learn more about the services, including free pregnancy options counseling, we offer to expectant parents in Richmond here.
