Approving $200,000 to organizations who will provide DeKalb County residents with comprehensive reproductive care and access to Plan B
On August 26, 2025, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved an allocation to the Feminist Women’s Health Center (FWHC) and ARC-Southeast, with amounts not to exceed $150,000 and $50,000, respectively. These funds will go toward critical and comprehensive reproductive health care including testing for sexually transmitted infections, pap smears, family planning services, and providing Plan B.
According to the CDC, Georgia has the second highest maternal mortality rate in the United States, with non-Hispanic Black women experiencing a significantly higher mortality rate.
“Reproductive healthcare services being reduced in many communities nationwide has a direct impact to our DeKalb County residents seeking essential care,” said Super District 6 Commissioner Ted Terry. “Healthcare is a human right and far too many women are struggling to access vital reproductive, prenatal, and postnatal care services that are essential to ensuring healthy pregnancies and helping to mitigate Georgia’s alarming maternal mortality rate. This funding will go directly to independent, local clinics that tackle these critical challenges and represents a vital investment in the health and well-being of families throughout DeKalb County.”
“I am so glad to see another locality in metro Atlanta, and the first county in Georgia, allocate funds to support Reproductive Justice and healthcare access. In a state where residents struggle to access reproductive health services, local governments play a crucial role in helping people get the care they need. And in a state with a near-total abortion ban and high maternal mortality and morbidity rates, having access to emergency contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies and support for postpartum care is more important than ever,” said Desirrae Thomas, Local Campaign Manager with Amplify Georgia Collaborative. “I am grateful to have been a part of this effort, and I truly appreciate Commissioner Terry and the commission for seeing this work through to completion. I look forward to continuing our partnership in ensuring DeKalb residents have full reproductive freedom.”
“DeKalb County is making history as the first county in Georgia to allocate funding for reproductive access, and the first locality to do so since the City of Atlanta in 2022. This bold step demonstrates what it looks like to invest real resources in reproductive justice, and we hope it inspires a wave of counties and cities across Georgia to do the same,” said Danielle Rodriguez, Executive Director of Amplify Georgia Collaborative. “Our communities deserve tangible investment in health, dignity, and freedom. We are especially grateful to Desirrae Thomas, Local Campaign Manager at Amplify Georgia Collaborative, for her tireless advocacy and leadership in making this moment possible. This is a victory for everyone who believes in a Georgia where we can all thrive.”
“These funds will provide essential care—like cervical cancer screenings, birth control, and post-partum care—to DeKalb County residents in a time when Georgia is experiencing unprecedented levels of need for reproductive health services,” said Kwajelyn Jackson, Executive Director of Feminist Center for Reproductive Liberation. “As our federal reproductive health infrastructure continues to crumble, let this be a shining example of what people power can accomplish on the local level. Feminist Center will steward these funds with the love and care that communities in DeKalb deserve, and we look forward to working with the county to deepen our impact for years to come.”
“Of the Southern states we serve, a vast majority of over 43 percent came from Georgia last year, with DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties needing the most support,” said Alexia Rice-Henry, Co-Executive Director of ARC-Southeast. “This funding is for direct services, and we hope it can be an opportunity for Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, Clayton, the City of Atlanta, and others to step up and help provide their residents with a lifeline.”
“This critical funding will help us continue to provide Southerners with their fundamental human right to reproductive health services, at a time when our rights are being targeted across the board,” said Angel Whaley, Co-Executive Director of ARC-Southeast. “At the same time, much more work is essential for us to collectively meet the needs of Southerners experiencing an attack on their right to access reproductive healthcare, including abortion. Let this be the first among many steps in the right direction.”
