Welcome to the Circle of Hope (Birth Mother's Network)

The Circle of Hope, also known as the Birth Mother's Network, is a network of women in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, who have consumed alcohol during pregnancy and may have children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). We lovingly refer to these women as "Warrior Moms" because of their incredible strengths.

The Circle unites birth mothers of children with FASD to assist in the process of recovery, and to provide the mentoring and support needed to get through the process of grief. Recovery and forgiveness are essential for parents to provide the nurturing support that is vital for their children.

The Circle supports birth families by:
• Improving and strengthening lives;
• Providing peer support;
• Eliminating stigma and shame.

The messages of the Circle are:
• Women CAN and DO achieve successful recovery from addiction;
• Women need support from other women;
• Women that have used alcohol or other substances need support and treatment.

What services does the Circle provide? Hope for Recovery!
• Support for moms who are in crisis and need help
• Support for long-term recovery from addiction and cycles of abuse
• Referrals for services related to addiction and/or FASD
• A Speakers Bureau on topics of FASD and/or addiction
• Free FASD prevention materials to community human service agencies such as hospitals, physician offices and clinics, addiction treatment centers, and jails

We invite you to join our network and become involved with other birth families.
Together, we can recover and heal.

Need a speaker or trainer? Click Here

The new Warrior Mom T-shirt is here! The women's fitted shirt features the "Warrior Mom" logo and is available in Chocolate Brown, Pale Yellow and Black, in sizes S-XX. Purchase on the NOFAS website today using PayPal or a major credit card.

On June 8 and 9, in Orlando, Florida, NOFAS and SAMHSA’s FASD Center of Excellence will be hosting a peer training for birth mothers and grandmothers of individuals with FASD. This Circle of Hope / Birth Mothers Network gathering is an invitation-only training. The goal is to train birth families to speak about their experiences and to “spread the message” of preventing FASD.  

The Circle met on May 11, in Albuquerque, New Mexico as part of the FASD Center for Excellence meetings. A meeting update will be posted shortly.

On March 14, the University of British Columbia held their 3rd International Conference on FASD in Victoria, British Columbia. Kathy Mitchell from NOFAS was there and provided two workshops: Hope for Women in Recovery: Facilitating a Women in Recovery Summit and Making a Difference: Facilitating a Best Practice FASD Community Awareness Campaign.

She met many of the 1,200 attendees at the NOFAS exhibit booth, selling and distributing the NOFAS K-12 curriculum and NOFAS education materials. This year, the new NOFAS Warrior Mom Tee Shirts were the ultimate hit! On the last day of the conference Kathy joined eight other birth mom warriors from all over the world. Together they shared their experiences on a panel entitled, What Makes a Difference: Reflections from the Experience of Birth Moms. Needless to say, there was not a dry eye in the audience! Kudos to Jan Lutke and the planning committee for another incredible FASD conference.

Please email Kathy Mitchell for more information about the COH / BMN.