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Emergency Reproductive Care
Emergency Reproductive Care
About our Emergency Reproductive Care Program
Women and gender-diverse people who become pregnant while unhoused face risks that threaten their health, along with the health of their baby. There is significant lack of appropriate housing and community-based support for people experiencing homelessness and pregnancy in Hamilton. In response to this identified gap, YWCA Hamilton took action. The Emergency Reproductive Care (ERC) program provides accessible reproductive health supports and services to women and gender-diverse people of reproductive age, who are experiencing homelessness in Hamilton, Ontario.
Homeless and Pregnant: YWCA Hamilton’s response to an emerging crisis
Call to Action: Reproductive Health, Pregnancy and Homelessness in Hamilton
Addressing reproductive health, pregnancy and homelessness in Hamilton longer term requires a coordinated, community effort. YWCA Hamilton brings together people with lived experience, community-based programs and services, and researchers/faculty from McMaster University to share ideas, increase education, and design advocacy efforts together. The result is a ‘Call to Action’. The partners involved work together to raise awareness and education about this issue locally, provincially and nationally.
YWCA Hamilton opened Emergency Reproductive Care Beds in the Transitional Living Program
YWCA Hamilton opened up three beds in the Transitional Living Program at the MacNab location for people experiencing homelessness and pregnancy or who need postpartum respite. The beds were open after consulting people with lived experience of homelessness about their needs for reproductive care.
May 2023 – A doula from Birth Mark begins working in the ERC program
Read the full Hamilton Spectator article here.
Leadership for the ERC program present at the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness Conference in Halifax
Read more about the conference here.
Advancing Reproductive Justice in a Housing Crisis
Advancing Reproductive Justice in a Housing Crisis’ panel and community conversation in partnership with LEAF Hamilton at the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre. Read the blog post here.
Oakwood Project
YWCA Hamilton announces the organization is working towards building a 90-unit transitional housing project on Barton street, called the ‘Oakwood Project’. Read more about the project here.
Impact
As of March 2025, the Emergency Reproductive Care Program has:
- Received 115+ referrals
- Supported 40+ women and gender-diverse people in the dedicated Transitional Living Program care beds
- Had no fatalities despite overdose being the leading cause of death for pregnant women
Supports Provided
The Emergency Reproductive Care program offers a range of supports and services. These include:
Transitional Living Program Beds
There are 3 beds in the Transitional Living Program reserved for people experiencing homelessness who are pregnant, who have had or who are seeking an abortion, who have experienced pregnancy loss, or who need emergency reproductive care, including post-partum respite following newborn apprehension.
Reproductive Health Outreach Workers
The Reproductive Health Outreach Workers, who are also doulas with Birth Mark, help connect women and gender-diverse people who are pregnant and/or new parents to health care, housing, and social care, with a specialized focus on reproductive health care. Many of the people referred to us live outside, without access to regular hygiene supports or a working telephone to coordinate health care and social services.
Post-partum Loss Support
We offer expanded supports for those experiencing postpartum loss (including: child welfare apprehension, miscarriage, and newborn death).
Wrapround Supports
Delivered through our Housing & Gender-Based Violence Services Department, these are practical, tangible supports that directly increase women’s access to basic needs that promote better health and well-being. These supports also increase women’s agency over their own health and promote their ability to focus on long-term goals. They include:
- Increased access to pregnancy testing
- Contraceptive care
- Referrals
- STI/STBBI testing
- Pregnancy and miscarriage support
- Prenatal healthcare and support
- Food security support (grocery gift cards, fresh food hampers, etc.)
- Transportation support
- Health & Hygiene Supports
- Basic infant needs
- Maternity clothing (including footwear and cold weather essentials)
Expressive Arts Therapy Group
Expressive arts therapy uses creative processes like art, music, movement, and drama to help people explore their emotions and promote healing and growth. This pilot group is offered to women whose children are being parented by others.
Program Eligibility
People who are eligible for the program include: women served through YWCA Hamilton housing and shelter programs, as well as those referred from other community organizations/partners. The program also welcomes people who identify as Two-Spirit, transgender, non-binary, and gender-fluid.
If you would like to learn more about the Emergency Reproductive Care program, please send an email to reproductivecare@ywcahamilton.org.
To donate or support this program, please contact:
Heather Barkley
Director of Philanthropy
hbarkley@ywcahamilton.org
The Emergency Reproductive Care Program is generously funded by Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health.
