Expanding Prenatal Care for Working Poor Women

Until December 2008, California required that women reside here for six months before they were eligible to receive essential health services through the state's Access for Infants and Mothers program. The ACLU of Northern California joined with other public interest organizations to challenge the rule on behalf of Maternal and Child Health Access, a non-profit organization.

The San Francisco Superior Court agreed with our argument that the Constitution protects the right to travel and that states cannot treat newcomers unfairly. The court struck down the requirement, clearing the way for these women to obtain essential prenatal and other medical care they need.