Care Net Pregnancy Center of Madison has revealed plans to open the Elizabeth House, a 10-bedroom home for low-income expectant mothers.
The home, which will be located at 1350 MacArthur Road, will replace the current four-bedroom maternity home located in rural Stoughton. The new location is within walking distance of Madison Area Technical College, which project directors said might encourage some mothers to return to school.
The house will provide shelter and resources to expectant mothers over age 18 who have already chosen to bring the child to term, said Sue Gruen, the director of the Elizabeth House.
“When these mothers come to us, they feel stuck,” Gruen said. “She doesn’t have money, she doesn’t have a place to stay, she doesn’t know what resources are available for single moms.”
According to Gruen, the house will help student mothers gain job skills or enough education to earn a living wage once the baby is born.
“The goal is to help the mother gain the resources she will need to live independently with the child once he or she is born,” Gruen said. “We look for women who want to build a good, solid future for themselves.”
The name for the home comes from the biblical Elizabeth who provided shelter and support to Mary before the birth of Jesus. However, no religious affiliation is required for admission to the home and no religious services are held there, Gruen said.
According to Gruen, the demand for organizations such as the Elizabeth House is growing because no such facilities operate from Milwaukee and northern Illinois.
Money for the facility will come from private donors and churches of all denominations, Gruen said. A $350,000 gift was donated by a businessman who wishes to remain anonymous, and $50,000 was donated by the Madison Community Foundation. The Elizabeth House hopes to raise two-thirds of the money needed to build the facility by its groundbreaking date this spring.
The lease on the current building expires in February 2005, but Gruen hopes the new home will be finished by then.
Because the home will help women who have already made the choice to bring the child to term on their own, Gruen does not anticipate protests against the building. In addition, the program was designed by six master’s-degree students from the University of Wisconsin, three of whom were pro-life and three pro-choice, Gruen said.
Peggy Hamill, the State Director of Pro-Life Wisconsin, said she is glad to see people giving support to women in these circumstances.
Patricia Else, Vice President of Communications and Development for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, said the house is one of many acceptable options for pregnant women.
“Ministries like the Elizabeth House are prevalent and invaluable in giving moral and physical support to women as they move toward becoming independent with their child,” she said. “We would support a woman’s choice to do what is best for her and her family.”
The idea for the Elizabeth House came from the executive director of Care Net Pregnancy Center and was adopted by Gruen after her own struggles as a single mother. “I had no idea where to turn for help when I was in that position, so I wanted to help women in the same predicament,” Gruen said.
