ENGLEWOOD — Kennedy‑King College announced the start of Illinois’ first certified professional midwife degree program, a milestone for the South Side and the state’s effort to address stark maternal‑health disparities.
Program details and community impact
The Licensed Certified Professional Midwifery program, approved by the City Colleges of Chicago Joint Curriculum Development Council, will admit 20 students in its first cohort, with plans to expand. Students will complete a semester of prerequisite courses before beginning the six‑semester core curriculum in spring 2027. Graduates earn national certification and state licensure, allowing them to provide maternity care in homes and birth centers.
“We are opening a door that was closed for generations,” said Star August Ali, executive director of the Black Midwifery Collective, at the launch event. “Our people have always carried the knowledge to care for one another; now that knowledge has a place to grow.”
Addressing maternal‑health inequities
A recent Illinois Department of Public Health report found Black women are more than twice as likely to die from pregnancy‑related conditions and three times as likely to die from complications compared with white women. More than 91 percent of those deaths were deemed preventable.
Katonja Webb Walker, president of Kennedy‑King College, highlighted the personal stakes: “These are not just numbers on a page—these are mothers who should be here to hold their babies.” Walker, who nearly lost her own son during a birth emergency, emphasized that maternal health challenges cross socioeconomic lines.
Support and resources
The college is converting a classroom into a state‑of‑the‑art simulation lab that mimics a home‑birth environment, complete with a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, plus two exam rooms equipped for realistic practice. Students will also earn doula and lactation‑consultant certifications and will be on call 24 hours a day during practicum.
Financial barriers are being reduced through several partnerships. The Robert R. McCormick Foundation will fund textbooks, transportation and a full‑time faculty position for the program’s start‑up phase. The Birth Fund will provide $4,000 per student for the first academic year, covering exam and certification costs.
Local leadership and future outlook
Mayor Brandon Johnson proclaimed Aug. 25 “Black Midwifery Collective Day in Chicago,” urging residents to support midwives and recognize their contributions. Carla Madeleine Kupe, chief equity officer of the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice, read the proclamation at the event.
Walker stressed the broader mission: “Our goal is not simply to create more midwives, but to create more possibilities for Black families to experience birth with dignity, safety, autonomy and respect.” With federal financial aid available, the program aims to give students a more equitable starting point and keep future midwives rooted in their South Side communities.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
