An Open Letter on the Licensure of CPMs in New York

Greetings,

Certified Professional Midwife Elizabeth Catlin was recently arrested in New York State and charged with five felonies alleging the unlicensed practice of midwifery, including charges of fraud and impersonating a midwife in violation of the state’s title protection law. For the Mennonite families she has served with care, skill, and dedication, as well as for her own family, this prosecution is a disaster. For us in the broader national community of midwives and birth advocates, this prosecution is a disgrace. On behalf of the Board of Directors and members of the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA), the national organization for all midwives, and a member of US MERA (Midwifery Education, Regulation, Association), I challenge us all to remedy the erroneous law that underlies this arrest.

This open letter to the US MERA organizations and their board presidents is a direct call to organizations to join with MANA in demanding the NY Midwifery Board, Education Department, and Board of Regents take immediate action to implement Section 6955 of the NY Midwifery Law in accordance with both the law’s own terms and the June 2015 US MERA Standards.