The AABC Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established by the American Association of Birth Centers in 1994 to advance public knowledge and understanding of issues related to family-centered childbirth. The Foundation raises funds to support the advancement of the AABC birth center model as the standard to improve maternity and women's health care. The birth center is a homelike facility, operating with a health care system. It is based on the wellness model of pregnancy and birth. Birth centers are guided by principles of prevention of complication, sensitivity to the needs of the individual family, safety for both mother and baby, appropriate use of medical intervention, and cost effective care. Birth centers provide family-centered care for healthy women before, during, and after normal pregnancy, labor, and birth.