by Valerie Harkins, Executive Director of the Maternity Housing Coalition

Running a Christian maternity home is a sacred calling—one that requires wisdom, discernment, and an ever-present commitment to the well-being of the women we serve. However, the complexity of house rules and resident handbooks can sometimes hinder rather than help. As leaders, it is essential to periodically review and simplify our guidelines to ensure they align with our mission, support trauma-informed care, and create a healthier environment for both residents and staff.

The Benefits of Fewer, More Impactful Rules

Maternity homes often accumulate an extensive list of rules over time, each intended to address specific behaviors or concerns. While structure is necessary, an overabundance of rules can create confusion, resistance, and an atmosphere of legalism rather than transformation. Research in trauma-informed care suggests that individuals who have experienced significant hardship—such as those in crisis pregnancies—respond better to environments that prioritize clarity, consistency, and emotional safety over rigid control (SAMHSA, 2014).

Here’s why fewer, well-enforced rules lead to better outcomes:

1. Increased Adherence – Too many rules can overwhelm residents, leading them to disengage. Trauma-impacted individuals often struggle with authority due to past experiences; simple, clear expectations increase the likelihood of compliance (Bloom, 2010).
2. Enhanced Mission Alignment – Every rule should directly reflect your home’s mission. If a rule does not serve a clear and meaningful purpose, it may be more of a hindrance than a help.
3. Reduced Staff Burnout – Staff members are tasked with enforcing policies, and an overly complex rulebook increases their workload and stress. Simplified guidelines free them to focus on relationship-building and discipleship rather than constant policing.
4. Greater Resident Growth – A structured yet flexible environment allows residents to make meaningful choices, take personal responsibility, and develop life skills that will serve them beyond their time in your home.

Begin reviewing and simplifying your guidelines in four easy steps.

1. Evaluate Your Current Rules

A practical first step is to review each rule through the lens of your mission and impact. Ask:

• Does this rule directly support our core values?
• Is it necessary for safety, order, or spiritual growth?
• Is it enforceable in a fair and consistent way?
• Does it encourage autonomy and personal responsibility?
• Is it communicated clearly and simply?

Rules that do not meet these criteria may need to be revised or eliminated. This review should also include staff and, when appropriate, resident feedback to ensure rules are realistic and effective.

2. Review Your Rules' Biblical Foundation for Clarity and Integrity

Scripture speaks to the importance of simple, truthful, and consistent communication. Jesus instructs in Matthew 5:37, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” A maternity home should be a place where both residents and staff trust that expectations are clear and that enforcement is fair. If rules are too numerous or inconsistently applied, trust erodes, leading to unnecessary conflict and stress.

Additionally, Colossians 3:21 warns, “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” While maternity home residents are not children, the principle remains: an environment with excessive, unclear, or inconsistently enforced rules can breed discouragement rather than growth.

3. Embrace the Role of Trauma-Informed Care

Trauma-informed care acknowledges that many maternity home residents have experienced significant emotional, physical, or spiritual wounds. A punitive, rigid structure often reinforces their past experiences of instability and rejection. Instead, clear and meaningful rules...

• promote predictability, which is crucial for emotional safety
• encourage respectful dialogue, rather than a power struggle
• allow natural consequences to shape growth instead of unnecessary punitive measures

By embracing a trauma-informed approach, maternity homes create an environment where healing is prioritized over control, ultimately leading to better long-term outcomes for residents.

4. Implement Thoughtful and Clear Communication

Once rules are streamlined, they must be communicated effectively. Consider implementing the following:

• A concise handbook that explains each rule’s purpose
• Regular orientation sessions to reinforce understanding
• A consistent enforcement approach so that residents know what to expect
• Opportunities for open discussion that allow residents to ask questions and seek clarification without fear

___________________________________________________________________________

1. SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach | SAMHSA Publications and Digital Products. (2014, October). Samhsa.gov. https://library.samhsa.gov/product/samhsas-concept-trauma-and-guidance-trauma-informed-approach/sma14-4884

‌2. Bloom, S. (2010). Organizational Stress as a Barrier to Trauma-Informed Service Delivery. Springer. https://connectingparadigms.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/21360-Organizational_Stress_as_a_Barrier_to_Trauma-Informed-Bloom.pdf

by Andrea Trudden, Vice President of Communications and Marketing

As this new administration begins, we are witnessing the restoration of life-affirming policies that uphold the sanctity of life, defend conscience rights, and protect taxpayers from funding abortion at home and abroad. These powerful actions are already making a monumental impact, and we celebrate them with you, the frontline champions of pregnancy help, who work daily to offer life-affirming care to women and families.

A Renewed Commitment to Protecting Life in the U.S.

This administration wasted no time addressing key policies that were in direct conflict with pro-life values. By rescinding harmful executive orders from the previous administration, the President has reaffirmed the Hyde Amendment, ensuring that:

• Federal tax dollars are no longer used to promote or fund abortion.
• Abortion is no longer falsely categorized as "healthcare" for funding purposes, preventing the misuse of Medicaid for elective abortion travel costs.

In addition to rescinding harmful executive orders, on day one, President Trump signed an executive order titled Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government. In this order, he affirms there are two sexes, each assigned “at conception.” This recognition strengthens the argument for personhood and lays the groundwork for further legal protections of the unborn.

The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees that no person shall be deprived of life or denied equal protection under the law. Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade, which had wrongly excluded the unborn from these protections. However, Dobbs left the question of personhood open. If the government affirms that life begins at conception, the unborn could receive the same constitutional rights as any other person.

In another bold move, the administration also pardoned 23 pro-life advocates who faced unjust persecution for defending the unborn. Additionally, the Born Alive Survivors Protection Act passed the House with strong support from the President. While it was blocked in the Senate, its progress demonstrates growing momentum for policies that protect the most vulnerable among us.

A Global Stand for Life

Beyond our borders, the administration has reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy, ensuring that U.S. taxpayers no longer fund abortion or its promotion internationally. This policy shift directly impacts global abortion providers like International Planned Parenthood, cutting off funding and reaffirming America’s stance for life.

The U.S. has also led a coalition of countries in signing the Geneva Consensus Declaration, affirming that there is no international right to abortion and calling for the protection of women’s health and the family. Additionally, all funding to the United Nations Population Fund—an entity complicit in coercive abortion and forced sterilization—has been cut. The U.S. also has withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), which promotes abortion as a "universal right to health" and issues guidelines for implementing abortion policies worldwide.

What This Means for Pregnancy Help Organizations

These early victories reinforce the importance of the work you do every day in serving women and families with love and practical support. Policies may shift at the national and international levels, but it is your hands-on care and compassion that makes the real difference in communities. Now is the time to educate your donors about these developments and how their support strengthens a culture of life at every level.

You can share these wins with your supporters:

• The government is reinforcing policies that affirm the dignity of life and protect women from being pushed toward abortion.
• Pregnancy help organizations remain at the forefront of providing compassionate alternatives and real solutions.
• Their support directly fuels life-saving efforts that offer women real choices outside of abortion.

As we celebrate these victories, we know there is still much work ahead. Heartbeat International remains committed to equipping you with the tools, training, and resources needed to continue serving women effectively. We will also continue working to educate government leaders about the irreplaceable role of pregnancy help organizations in our communities.

"And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good." – 2 Thessalonians 3:13

Be encouraged—your work is making an eternal difference. Every act of love, every word of hope, and every life saved reflects the greater victory we have in Christ. Keep pressing forward with courage and faith!

Together, we are building a culture of life—one woman, one family, one community at a time. Thank you for the work you do. Let’s continue this mission of hope and life, stronger than ever!

In March 2023, Heartbeat International speaks at the United Nations to share how pregnancy help organizations support women's health on a global level.

____________________

President Trump photo credit: NPR.org

Hosted by St. Raymond's Society (SRS)

Join us for our first regional event for maternity housing organizations!

WHERE

St. Raymond's Society Event Center
300 Portland, Columbia, MO 65201

WHEN

March 25, 2025
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Come at 9 a.m. for coffee and networking

Lunch provided.

Watch a special invitation from Jor-El Godsey, President, and Tracie Shellhouse, Vice President of Ministry Services, from their visit to Birmingham, Alabama in preparation for our upcoming annual conference:

Watch a video of Andrea Trudden, Vice President of Communications and Marketing, sharing all about Birmingham!

January is set aside by the U.S. Department of State for awareness and education of human trafficking and slavery; to encourage each of us to do our part to identify and prevent these crimes from occurring. The U.S. Department of State estimates reveal more than 27.6 million people, adults and children, are victims of human trafficking around the world.

Definition

According to the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, states that "The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as amended (TVPA), defines “severe forms of trafficking in persons” as:

▶ Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age; or

▶ The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

A victim need not be physically transported from one location to another for the crime to fall within this definition." (p. 22)

The devastating reality of the prevalence of this crime demands our time and attention to help in any way we possibly can. 

Within the pregnancy help movement, we are uniquely placed in environments that could present opportunities for us to stand for what is right and rescue victims of this crime.

Learn More

To learn more about Human Trafficking and how you can identify and prevent this crime within your pregnancy help medical clinic, the following courses are available within Heartbeat Academy:

● Identifying and Assisting Victims of Sex Trafficking in the Center
● Human Trafficking and the Pregnancy Center
● Serving Survivors of Sex Trafficking
● Sex Trafficking & Abortion
● OnWatch Training

Resources

The National Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached confidentially 24/7 by phone 1-888-373-7888, text, or chat. The website is available to contact the hotline, report a tip, learn how to stay safe, and learn the stats of human trafficking.

by Ellen Foell, International Program Specialist

I never dreamed I would be able to travel to India, let alone twice in one year. In Part 1 of this series, I shared about my first trip to (north) India. And last October I had the privilege to visit two of our Indian affiliates and participate in the India Pro-Life Summit, held in Mumbai.

I met Brother Godfrey Rajkumar and his wife Beatrice, directing Jeevan (Hindi for “Life”), in Bangalore. We had a lovely time together and I was given the opportunity to talk to around 14 university students who meet in their homes to share about the sanctity of life. In their apartment, they also host a few of the women in unplanned pregnancies, as well as have sewing and computer classes. Talk about a multi-purpose room! Brother Godfrey and Beatrice run the only pregnancy help center in Bangalore (that we know of). Bangalore is a city of about 14 million people.

From there I went to Coimbatore to meet with Simon and Johanna Durairaj who run Life for All. Coimbatore is in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Life for All recently opened a birthing center, and they run a home for the elderly as well as a daycare. The pro-life movement in India really has to minister seamlessly for the weakest in the population who are easy prey.

Finally, I traveled with Simon, Johanna, and their family back to Mumbai for the 10^th Pro-Life Summit. The Pro-Life Summit started nine years ago with about 15 people. Praise God for the growth of the movement which saw about 70 people attend! The Summit was well planned with talks to encourage, equip, and train. A huge shoutout to all the wonderful people I met there who embraced me so warmly with true Indian hospitality. There is nothing like a proper cup of Indian chai.

The India Pro-Life Summit continues to grow from the 15 or so who attended 9 years ago to the nearly 75 that attended this year. Like many of our international affiliates, the Indian pregnancy help movement is actually the pro-life movement. The people who attended the Summit are the same people who plan the marches, attend prayer walks and 40 Days for Life, plan client services, promote APR, raise funds, do research that hopefully influences legislation, and mobilize the culture toward life through social media—and they are pastors. They do everything—if not them, who else?

The pro-life movement in India is growing, but slowly. It is hard to keep up with the ever-increasing number of abortions in India; currently, approximately 42,000 abortions are performed per day with a total of about 15.6 million per year. Would you pray for the pregnancy help movement in India? Your Indian co-laborers are under-resourced, understaffed, and face tremendous opposition, governmentally and culturally. Like you, they are fueled by their love for life and love for the Giver of Life.

Political Map of India

Highlighted in yellow are the territories I visited:

Whova is our official Conference platform, where you can find information on workshops, speakers, exhibitors, and so much more.

To use on a mobile device, download the app!

Accessing the 2025 Heartbeat Conference in 4 Easy Steps

1. Download the Whova App or Access the Web Platform

   • Download the Whova Mobile App on your phone/tablet or visit the Whova Web Platform on your desktop.
     
     

2. Open App and Create or Sign In to Your Whova Account

   • Use the email address in your registration confirmation to sign up for your account. It must be this email address to gain access to the Heartbeat Conference.
   • Do NOT use the Facebook login option as it will not provide access to the event.
     
     

3. Complete Two-Factor Authentication

   • After entering your email and password, input the verification code that will be sent to your email.
   • Check both your inbox and spam folder for the code.
     
     

4. Explore the App Features

   • View the event agenda and build your personal schedule.
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   • Receive updates such as last-minute session changes.

Report Any Issues. If you experience any login issues or difficulties navigating the app, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will look into it.

Two-Factor Verification

Beginning last year, Whova introduced a two-factor verification process. This is to ensure that your information, as well as the information of our Conference, be kept secure and confidential. The two-factor verification process occurs upon logging in. Simply use your normal email and password combination to log in, then navigate to your email to retrieve the 6-digit verification code to complete your login. Please note that the verification email may appear in your spam folder.

Manage Notifications

While we would love to keep you apprised of every conference activity, we sympathize that it may feel overwhelming for some. There are two ways to manage your notifications: in the app itself and on your device.

A) Manage notifications in the app

1. Go to the home screen at the bottom of the app.
2. Click the profile icon that has your profile image on it, which will pull up a left menu bar.
3. Click the Settings button and under notifications, click Notification Settings.
4. You can toggle on or off each notification type for the event, community board, and topics.

B) Manage notifications on your device

To manage your notifications, navigate to your device's settings. From there, find your Notification settings and adjust the settings for the Whova app. 

Tip: For Android users, you may find your notification settings titled "Sound & notification." Then, navigate to "App notifications."

App Features - Quick Guide

Watch the user guide to learn how to navigate Whova:

Tip: Watch this video before arriving onsite so you're confident while you're there!

Find the Event Schedule

From the event homepage (left image), find the menu at the bottom of your screen and tap on "Agenda." This will open the Full Agenda. From here, you can navigate by day and tap the icon that reads "Add to Agenda" on workshops that you'd like to join. The workshops that you add can be viewed under the "My Agenda" tab at the top.

Please note that what you see on the "Agenda" tab will depend on your registration. For example, if you're only signed up for In-Depth Day, you will only see sessions for that day. This also applies to virtual-only attendees.

To filter the Agenda, simply select "Tracks & Filters" from the top and filter by track and tag. Click "Apply" to apply the options you selected.

Conference Rooms & Map

You can view the Floor Maps of the event from the home page of the app.

Meet-Ups & Networking: How to Maximize This Feature

Find this section by tapping the "Community" icon located at the bottom of your screen. From there, click on "Meet-ups & Virtual Meets" to begin networking with other attendees. Other great ways to network at this event would be at our general sessions, dinners, and in the exhibit hall. The community page also has an array of other forums created by attendees. Dive in and have fun!

Organizer Announcements

Easily find all of our announcements throughout the conference (and before!) by navigating to the menu at the bottom and tapping "Community." From here, tap on "Organizer Announcements." You may also ask a question to the Heartbeat staff, by tapping "Ask Organizer's Anything." This page is monitored frequently throughout the Conference.