News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 21, 2026
All major BC parties commit to Canada’s first Perinatal Mental Health Unit
BC NDP, Conservatives and Greens have now pledged operating funding for a unit that will keep mothers and babies together in a mental health crisis. In Her Circle will work to see that the promise is kept.
VANCOUVER, BC – In Her Circle welcomes today’s commitment by BC Conservatives to fund the operation of Canada’s first Mother and Baby Perinatal Mental Health Unit at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre. The BC Conservatives join the BC NDP and BC Greens, who made commitments earlier in the election cycle. Every major party in British Columbia is now on record with funding for the unit to open in 2028.
“This has never been one party’s issue, and this moment proves it,” said Kiri Bird, Co-Founder and Executive Director of In Her Circle. “We are heartened to see that all three major parties are committed to providing the care needed for mothers and babies who require hospitalization in the postpartum period. BC families need this life saving care, and leaders across political lines recognize this.”
One in four mothers will experience a mental health challenge during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum. In BC, about 175 of those cases become acute and need hospital care each year. No hospital in Canada currently provides that care without separating a mother from her baby. Around the world, specialized mental health units admit mother and baby together, and research shows 92.2 per cent of mothers treated for postpartum psychosis in these units reach remission in the acute phase.
Support for perinatal mental health has crossed party lines before. In 2025, Conservative MLA Jody Toor’s Bill M 204, the Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act, passed with unanimous support. During this election, the BC NDP were the first to commit to the unit, the BC Greens followed, and the BC Conservatives have now joined them.
In Her Circle was founded in memory of Jenna Dorman, a Vancouver mother of two who died by suicide in 2024 during a severe postpartum mental illness. The people who loved her come from across the political spectrum. “My best friend and I didn’t always share the same politics,” said Bird. “It never affected our friendship, and it had nothing to do with the care she needed when her postpartum depression escalated to psychosis.”
British Columbians made this moment possible. More than 4,000 people from every region of the province signed In Her Circle’s Close the Gap petition, and supporters sent dozens of letters to candidates through the organization’s website.
“Thank you to everyone who signed, wrote letters, shared Jenna’s story, and stood up for mothers and babies,” said Bird. “Thank you for stepping into the circle.”
The unit is a partnership between philanthropy and government. BC Women’s Health Foundation is raising funds from donors to renovate an existing space at the hospital, and the next government will need to confirm operating funding in Budget 2027. With both in place, the unit could open its doors to families by 2028.
In Her Circle will work with whoever forms government and with BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre to see the commitment through: in the mandate letters, in Budget 2027, through to when doors open to the public by 2028.
“An election promise is an important milestone, but not the finish line,” said Bird. “We’ll be there after October 24 to make sure this one is kept. Let’s make history.”
British Columbians can learn more and stay involved at inhercircle.ca.
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To learn more about Jenna’s postpartum story watch For Jenna — a short film about love and community, and the limits of both against a system not built to hold mothers and babies together.