Women’s Care Center providing hope to families

The resolve to continue its high standards of a dignified, caring setting for clients resulted in big changes for a life-affirming clinic in Bismarck—a new name, new location and self-sufficiency.

Women’s Care Center became an independently governed entity Oct. 1 and will strengthen its legacy of early pregnancy and parenting counseling to women and men of the community in the future.

It first opened more than a decade ago as the First Choice Clinic at College Drive in Bismarck. In July 2019, the center moved to its current location at 614 N. Fourth Street. That same year, the clinic allied itself with a new organization, becoming a Women’s Care Center (WCC).

It joined Women’s Care Center—one of the largest, most successful pregnancy resource centers in the country with 34 centers in 12 states. For two years, the Bismarck center functioned as part of Women’s Care Center North Dakota. Fargo, Devils Lake and Bismarck locations were all governed by Fargo.

Self-governed

On Oct. 1, the Bismarck Women’s Care Center became an independent center—no longer an offshoot of the center in Fargo, said Rebecca Obrigewitch, WCC development director.

“Because we have such great local support, and because we have been able to grow at the rate that we have, there is a need for local governance for our center and for us to be independent,” Obrigewitch explained.

The change was made to support continued growth in the Bismarck community. All funds raised in Bismarck have always gone to the Bismarck center, she assured, but the move will give Bismarck more ownership of the center and its governance.

Mission

The WCC Bismarck’s mission is to help women choose life for their babies, have healthier pregnancies, become better parents and take those first steps for self-sufficiency for the family. According to statistics provided by the center, Bismarck served 447 women in the past year and nine of 10 women chose life for their babies. In 2020, 145 babies were born to Bismarck moms in the program. The WCC staff projects these babies would fill seven kindergarten classrooms.

“Since becoming a Women’s Care Center, our center serves twice as many women. Over 500 babies have been saved!” Obrigewitch said.

Obrigewitch said the centers’ impact have been significant. “Our North Dakota Women's Care Centers combined to serve 1,192 women (onsite and in person) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021. “Based on data from the state, our centers served 70 percent of all women who received services from pregnancy centers in North Dakota during this time.”

History

The Bismarck center’s origins lie with Fargo’s pregnancy resource center that began in 1984. It ran under a variety of names before becoming First Choice Clinic.

Donors from Bismarck who had supported the Fargo mission found a need for life-affirming services in western North Dakota and raised funds to open a clinic here in 2010.
 
“First Choice Clinic knew that there were more women who could be reached,” Obrigewitch said. “Bismarck has always been a pro-life community. The community has always had a need and a desire for life-affirming services.”

Services

Obrigewitch said the fourth street location in a renovated home gives clients a warmer, more approachable place to receive services and plan their next steps. The site is more visible than its previous office setting. “It says, ‘You are welcome here. You are wanted here.’”

Among the life-affirming services offered in Bismarck since the beginning are pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, pregnancy counseling, parenting counseling and education incentives that help the women earn items for themselves and their babies.

Most women come to the WCC because they suspect they are pregnant, and to obtain a pregnancy test and ultrasound, but they also find love and support from counselors willing to journey with them through the entire process, said Obrigewitch. After a positive test, the woman is given an ultrasound as soon as possible to allow her to see the baby and the two to bond.

The Women’s Care Center uses an affirmation, strength-based counseling that helps the client see her strengths and recognize qualities in herself. The client shares with the counselor where she is at, what her needs are, and the counselor provides supportive education that she needs.

The changes haven’t come without growing pains. Dennis Prindiville, board president for the Women’s Care Center Bismarck, said the local center relies completely on donations to keep its doors open and will need them even more.

“Fundraising becomes paramount as we will no longer have the safety net of Fargo’s resources available to prop us up if we fall short of our operating needs,” he said. “We had to purchase our clinic building from Fargo.” That means paying off two loans for the newly independent center.

Benefits of a life-affirming clinic

“It’s great for the woman to go where she can be received and loved unconditionally. It’s helpful to have a place that’s helping to build families in the community,” Obrigewitch said. It also allows donors, partners and volunteers to be part of the mission, she said. This raises focus on mothers choosing life.

“We are saving babies from abortion and providing essential services for those who choose life. We don’t drop these young families from our radar once the baby is born,” Prindiville said. “Our staff will continue to work with them until their youngest child is five years old. This support is priceless for young families getting started in our community.”

Staff
Staffing at the Women’s Care Center includes two nurse counselors/pregnancy counselors, one pregnancy counselor and assistant counselor who oversees adult education and the development director.

Parenting classes are offered once a week for people expecting, who already have children or both. This education addresses newborns through kindergarten-age children; guest speakers have even advised clients about budgeting.

One in six babies born in Burleigh County get their start at the Women’s Care Center, Prindiville said. He added that the center reaches beyond Bismarck with clients from South Dakota and Montana. “We currently are working with 157 expectant mothers. These women know they have a place to go where they won’t be judged and where they will be loved and supported during a very trying time of their life. Our staff is incredible in the work they do with these women.”

A data base at the center links clients to other services they may need such as food, clothing, emergency supplies, furniture, nutrition for children, Medicaid and a list of obstetricians to ensure full prenatal care during the pregnancy, Obrigewitch said.

Adoption 

Adoption services are not run through the center, but if requested, staff will refer clients to those who specialize in it.

“There are different adoption agencies in town and there are licensed social workers who function in that adoption counselor role,” Obrigewitch said. “If a client wants to do an adoption plan, we want to support her in that journey and connect her with the resources for that.”

Outcome

“At the end of the day, we want to support and encourage moms to choose life for their babies and to have strong families,” Obrigewitch said. “We have amazing clients. It is amazing to see how strong and resilient these moms are—especially the ones who are facing a lot of uncertainty, a lot of obstacles—and that they’ve been loved, and they have hope.”

For more information about the Women’s Care Center, call 701-751-4575 or 1-877-908-2341 or email rebecca@supportwcc.org. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.