Shepherding or host homes grew in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s as a new type of housing resource for those involved in pregnancy help ministries. In this model, pregnant women in crisis pregnancies were housed within the spare bedrooms in the homes of passionate pro-lifers. Several long-standing maternity homes, as they currently exist, used some version of a host home living environment as the launching point for developing a housing program. Additionally, many founders of established maternity homes (and other pregnancy help organizations) began by welcoming women into their personal home.

In this episode, we’ll delve deeper into what a Host Home is and how they are used.

Additional Resources:

* Putting Women into Other’s Care: A White Paper on Host and Shepherding Homes

* National Maternity Housing Coalition Website