“If it wraps around the health of a baby, health of a pregnancy, health of a mom, we’re doing it,” said Kristie Urness, social worker with Catholic Charities in Minot.

A source of counseling, guardianship and adoption services, Catholic Charities also provides services to expectant and new parents across North Dakota from its offices in Minot, Bismarck and Fargo.

“They’re free, confidential. They’re open to all faiths,” Urness said.

The Minot office covers a region from Devils Lake to Williston, and Catholic Charities will come to clients who cannot travel to them.

Kristie Urness

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation, which has provided grant support to Catholic Charities for maternal health, states that while most mothers in North Dakota receive prenatal care, disparities exist. Women in rural and Indigenous communities are likely to experience delayed or inadequate prenatal care. More than 70% of North Dakota moms live in a maternity desert, the foundation noted, and about one in four experience symptoms of postpartum depression.

During the past fiscal year, Catholic Charities had 23 open cases in which staff worked intensively with clients most in need of support services.

“It was only 23 but the hours are a lot,” Urness said. “It’s that direct service, and we work with women from any time during their pregnancy. … We help them through that postpartum period for up to a year.”

In addition to those intensive services, Catholic Charities serves many more clients through referrals and information, she said. Some clients find just meeting once or twice with staff is all they need to gain confidence.

Catholic Charities served more than 1,400 women, children and families last year through its Bundle Up Your Baby Bump events, Urness said. The events are opportunities for families to come and shop for needed baby and toddler supplies for free from donated items.

Minot will host its second Bundle Up Your Baby Bump event in October. An event was held last month in Williston.

“They’ve been very successful, and a way of just reaching out to people and letting them know about our services,” Urness said.

Catholic Charities accepts donations from the public throughout the year, not only for the events but to have available for families with immediate needs. Catholic Charities takes new or gently used baby equipment from diaper bags to strollers, toys, books, blankets, breast pumps, children’s dinnerware and new hygiene items and diapers. The organization accepts women’s clothing, maternity clothing and children’s clothing sizes newborn to 5T. Catholic Charities also takes financial donations toward its programs.

Urness said women or couples who reach out or are referred to Catholic Charities have different levels of support needs, so there are various options regarding services. It begins with a psycho-social assessment to identify both strengths and barriers to achieving success.

“When we do that assessment, we want to make sure – Are they doing prenatal care? Do they have access to medical insurance? Do they have transportation? A lot of times we’re transporting women to their doctor’s appointments or to WIC (Women’s, Infants and Children) appointments or individual therapy counseling,” she said.

Any issues around mental health, substance abuse and medication management also are addressed as part of a wrap-around approach to covering basic needs, Urness said.

“Because when a birth mom or an expectant parent is happy and doing well, that increases the chance of healthy babies being born. So, we identify the need that is there, then we connect them to those community resources,” Urness said.

Catholic Charities locally works with a number of community partners, including Dakota Hope Clinic, Matthew 25 Project, food pantries, Community Action Partnership as well as medical and public health providers.

“We don’t just say, ‘Here’s what the services are.’ We’re saying, ‘Hey, let’s refer you. Let’s help do that application. You don’t have transportation? I can definitely help take you there,'” Urness said.

Another piece is education. Catholic Charities offers resources on pregnancy and parenting, along with nutrition, diet and exercise associated with a healthy pregnancy.

“We really want to make sure we’re touching on their emotional, physical and mental health,” Urness said. “We really try to kind of walk that pregnancy journey with the client when she comes in. Sometimes we’re their only source of support. Sometimes we’re the only one with them at the hospital.

“If you don’t have any support system, that really affects your self esteem, your self identity,” she added. “If we are meeting all their basic needs, and they’re feeling confident and independent, then that increases that mental health.”

As part of its adoption services, Catholic Charities offers decision-making counseling for those debating between raising a child or adoption.

“We give them the tools and the resources to help them make the best decision for them and baby,” Urness said. “There’s no judgment. There’s no pressure. We just follow whatever they choose to do. If they choose parenting, then we’re following through more on that parenting preparation.”

Once a client has worked with Catholic Charities, they become a part of the organizational family, Urness said. Former clients can reconnect if they need more support or to share their successes, she said.

There’s a sense of reward in seeing the organization’s efforts to promote maternal health result in positive outcomes, Urness said.

“Really, we do see that the healthier mom is, the healthier babies are,” she said.