Family Midwifery

The Cindy Lou Burgess Sponsorship Fund is an opportunity to help families who are deeply dedicated to a wholistic approach to childbirth pay for midwifery care with the midwives at Family Midwifery.

Some of these families may need help from the outset as they try to find affordable care for a homebirth, and others are faced with unpredictable hardships and are considering abandoning their hope of a homebirth because they can no longer afford the care.

The funds may also be given to a family who has been faithfully chipping away at an extended payment plan and a little help with bringing down their balance would be an incredible relief to their family financial circumstances.

Donations can be made on a one-time, intermittent, or on-going basis through this website by clicking the button at the top or bottom of this page, calling the main office at (860)866-8700, or sending a check to 124 Main Street, Deep River, CT 06417. Please make Checks Payable to “Family Midwifery” and put “CLB Sponsorship” in the memo line. Thanks!

No. Family Midwifery is not a non-profit organization.

Only donations to non-profit organizations qualify as tax-deductible.

Private citizens may contribute to The Oasis Sponsorship Fund.

We do not accept donations from businesses, government entities or other organizations.

Donations are accepted via credit card, debit card, Venmo, cash, or personal check.

Yes. You decide the amount of your donation and whether you would like it to be a one-time donation or a recurring donation that is given monthly.

All donations are welcome and treated as a sacred trust.

Yes. Names and other identifying information about both the families who give and the families who receive are respectfully kept anonymous.

Donations are collected by Family Midwifery and held in a designated sponsorship account.

The sponsorships are distributed at the discretion of Gengi G. Proteau, CPM

Sponsorships are given as the funds in the designated account grow and become available.

When a family’s need becomes apparent, a portion of the funds in the sponsorship account are credited to that family’s balance and the funds are transferred to the Family Midwifery main account.

The amount allocated to families is determined on a case-by-case basis.

When a gift is received - whatever the amount of the donation - it is recorded in a manner that allows us to know both who has given the gift and who has received the gift.

When your donation has been allocated to a family, we will let you know that your gift has been credited to the anonymous family’s account.

It’s probably safe to say that every family could benefit from receiving money to put toward their healthcare expenses when they are having a baby.

However, these sponsorships are reserved for families in situations where the sponsorship will make a difference for them in being able to work with the midwives at Family Midwifery.

This means that a family has to first feel that this practice is the best match for them.

At the beginning of care, the family comes up with and makes a commitment to a payment plan that is realistic for their budget and their circumstances, even without the sponsorship gift.

As the relationships between the families and the midwives grow, the needs and circumstances of each family become apparent.

If there is a financial need, the family is encouraged to utilize all other resources for payment first.

After these other avenues have been exhausted, the sponsorship gift is offered as funds become available.

In this way, Gengi is able to consider on a personal, individualized basis where the sponsorship funds are needed most.

Gengï wants talking about money to be as simple and easy as possible.

If you are a current client, please reach out to Gengï directly.

If you are a looking for a midwifery practice to work with, please fill out a “Please Contact Me” form to start the process of setting up a consultation with Gengï. At the consultation, you can talk with her about your financial considerations in addition to getting answers to common questions about Family Midwifery and homebirth in general.

If you have received a sponsorship gift, you can give your handwritten thank you note in a sealed envelope to Gengi and she will deliver it to your sponsoring family.

CindyLou Burgess (1960 - 2017) was devoted to truly serving families during the childbearing year. She had a knack for not just seeing the deeper needs of new families, but taking action in ways that were above and beyond in her service, often giving mothers, babies, and families much more time, attention, information, and care than they ever could have paid for through her doula service “All About Birth.” Behind the scenes, with limited financial resources and long standing challenges to learning in traditional school settings, she was also dedicated to learning the skills of a midwife. For years, she purchased books and materials to study on her own, and attended every available workshop and training she could afford in preparation for the fulfillment of her ultimate dream of becoming midwife. Her untimely passing occurred shortly after she had become an apprentice at Family Midwifery. Her spirit of accepting others where they are, her faith, and her perseverance continue to inspire those who truly knew her.