Nearly a decade after opening its doors in Orange City, Guiding Star Siouxland has officially entered a new chapter.
The organization is now operating as ZoeCare Orange City, joining the Yankton, South Dakota-based ZoeCare network in a move that local leaders say will expand services while maintaining the center’s longstanding mission of supporting women and families facing pregnancy-related challenges.
Center Director Kaleigh Van Middendorp first announced the transition during an appearance on Sioux County Radio’s Daily Grind last Friday. She says the change is about providing additional resources to meet the evolving needs of women and families in Northwest Iowa.
“It’s been a really fun journey serving Sioux County for almost ten years. In that time, obviously clients change and the needs of our clients change. You know, Guiding Star started as a health care center… Guiding Star Project, the national organization, is moving more toward developing birth centers across the U.S. They’re hoping that all of their centers will make that shift.”
Why the Change?
Van Middendorp says the decision came after Guiding Star Project, the national organization with which the Orange City center had been affiliated, began encouraging its locations to develop birth centers nationwide.
After evaluating the needs of Northwest Iowa, however, local leadership determined that approach wasn’t the best fit. She says the region already has a variety of maternity care options, including hospitals, birth centers and home birth providers. At the same time, the organization had seen an increase in demand from women and families seeking support during unplanned or challenging pregnancies.
Those conversations eventually led to discussions with ZoeCare Founder and Executive Director Rachel Jones, an Orange City native, about bringing the Orange City location into the ZoeCare network.
“It just kind of sparked the conversation of what would it look like for us to join ZoeCare and be able to continue the great work we do and collaborate with another Siouxland organization to better serve the incoming and increasing clients we had who were needing support for unplanned pregnancies or challenging pregnancy situations,” Van Middendorp said.
According to the organization, the transition officially took effect July 1. Leadership says while the name has changed, its commitment to serving women and families throughout the Siouxland region remains the same.
Van Middendorp says the organization has also seen increasing demand from women seeking information about unplanned pregnancies and abortion, and she believes those needs continue to exist even in Northwest Iowa. She says meeting that growing demand was another factor in the decision to join the ZoeCare network and expand available services.
Expanded Services and Resources
Van Middendorp says joining ZoeCare immediately expands what the Orange City center can offer clients.
Among the additions are 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week chat services, access to ZoeCare’s mobile medical unit, expanded staffing and plans for longer office hours. The organization also says all of its services are now offered free of charge.
“The great thing about joining ZoeCare is we now have 24/7 chat services available, and we also have a mobile unit, so it’s capable of bringing health care to them if they need an ultrasound or a pregnancy test,” Van Middendorp said. “We have the benefit now of having that chat service and also the mobile unit, and that was a big deciding factor for us.”
The center is also expanding its parenting education through ZoeCare’s “Earn While You Learn” program, allowing clients to earn points by attending educational appointments and connecting with community resources. Those points can then be used to obtain baby supplies and other necessities.
According to ZoeCare, the program serves families from early pregnancy until a child reaches age two and is available in both English and Spanish.
What Isn’t Changing
While the organization has a new name, Van Middendorp says clients can expect many familiar faces.
She says the Orange City location remains in the same building with the same staff, while additional nurses and expanded hours are planned.
“I think the biggest thing is that people understand that really not much is changing. We’re still offering all of our services that we did before,” Van Middendorp said. “The biggest change… is that it’s now all free.”
Van Middendorp says those changes, combined with additional support available through the ZoeCare network, position the organization to continue serving women and families throughout Northwest Iowa for years to come.
Find out more about the services ZoeCare offers here.
