DeKalb County District 6 Contact Kelly Cato 404-804-3358 (M)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DeKalb County Becomes the First County in Georgia to Allocate Money Towards Reproductive Healthcare.
Approving $200,000 to organizations who will provide DeKalb County residents with comprehensive reproductive care and access to Plan B.
*media interviews available*
DEKALB COUNTY – On August 26, 2025, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved an allocation to the Feminist Women’s Health Center (FWHC) and ARC-Southeast with amounts not to exceed $150,000 and $50,000, respectively. These funds will go towards critical and comprehensive reproductive health care including testing for sexually transmitted infections, pap smears, family planning services, and providing Plan B.
According to the CDC, Georgia has the second highest maternal mortality rate in the United States with non-Hispanic Black women experiencing a significantly higher mortality rate.
“Reproductive healthcare services being reduced in many communities nationwide has a direct impact to our DeKalb County residents seeking essential care,” said Super District 6 Commissioner Ted Terry. “Healthcare is a human right and far too many women are struggling to access vital reproductive, prenatal, and postnatal care services that are essential to ensuring healthy pregnancies and helping to mitigate Georgia’s alarming maternal mortality rate. This funding will go directly to independent, local clinics that tackle these critical challenges and represents a vital investment in the health and well-being of families throughout DeKalb County.”
“I am so glad to see another locality in metro Atlanta, and the first county in Georgia, allocate funds to support Reproductive Justice and healthcare access. In a state where residents struggle to access reproductive health services, local governments play a crucial role in helping people get the care they need. And in a state with a near-total abortion ban and high maternal mortality and morbidity rates, having access to emergency contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies and support for postpartum care is more important than ever,” said Desirrae Thomas, Local Campaign Manager with Amplify Georgia Collaborative. “I am grateful to have been a part of this effort, and I truly appreciate Commissioner Terry and the commission for seeing this work through to completion. I look forward to continuing our partnership in ensuring DeKalb residents have full reproductive freedom.”
“DeKalb County is making history as the first county in Georgia to allocate funding for reproductive access, and the first locality to do so since the City of Atlanta in 2022. This bold step demonstrates what it looks like to invest real resources in reproductive justice, and we
hope it inspires a wave of counties and cities across Georgia to do the same,” said Danielle Rodriguez, Executive Director of Amplify Georgia Collaborative. “Our communities deserve tangible investment in health, dignity, and freedom. We are especially grateful to Desirrae Thomas, Local Campaign Manager at Amplify Georgia Collaborative, for her tireless advocacy and leadership in making this moment possible. This is a victory for everyone who believes in a Georgia where we can all thrive.”
“These funds will provide essential care – like cervical cancer screenings, birth control, and post- partum care – to DeKalb County residents in a time when Georgia is experiencing unprecedented levels of need for reproductive health services,” said Kwajelyn Jackson, Executive Director of Feminist Center for Reproductive Liberation. “As our federal reproductive health infrastructure continues to crumble, let this be a shining example of what people power can accomplish on the local level. Feminist Center will steward these funds with the love and care that communities in DeKalb deserve, and we look forward to working with the county to deepen our impact for years to come.”
“Of the Southern states we serve, a vast majority of over 43 percent came from Georgia last year, with DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties needing the most support,” said Alexia Rice- Henry, Co-Executive Director of ARC-Southeast. “This funding is for direct services, and we hope can be an opportunity for Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, Clayton, the City of Atlanta, and others to step up and help provide their residents with a lifeline.”
“This critical funding will help us continue to provide Southerners with their fundamental human right to reproductive health services, at a time when our rights are being targeted across the board,” said Angel Whaley, Co-Executive Director of ARC-Southeast. “At the same time, much more work is essential for us to collectively meet the needs of
Southerners experiencing an attack on their right to access reproductive healthcare including abortion. Let this be the first among many steps in the right direction.”
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ABOUT DeKalb County Super District 6 Commissioner Ted Terry:
In 2020, Commissioner Ted Terry was elected to serve as the Super District 6 Commissioner of DeKalb County. His district includes half of the County with portions of South, Central, and North DeKalb, totaling approximately 350,000 residents. He successfully was reelected and began his second term in January 2025.
Commissioner Terry’s policy priorities include the DeKalb Green New Deal and former President Biden’s Justice 40 initiatives, affordable housing, transit equity, protecting voting rights for DeKalb residents, and criminal justice reform. Commissioner Terry serves as the Chair of Finance and Budget (FAB) and is a member of the Planning, Economic Development and Community Service (PECS) committee. He previously served as the Chair of the Employee Relations and Public Safety committee (ERPS) and Chair of the Operations Committee (OPS) and as a member of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWI).
The Commissioner also serves as a member of the National Association of Counties (NACo) as a member of the Healthy Counties Advisory Board, International Economic Development Task Force, Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) Member, Resilient Counties Advisory Board Member, and Environment,
Energy, and Land Use (EELU) Policy Steering Committee. Locally serves on the Georgia Council for International Visitors Board of Trustees.
Prior to his election, Commissioner Terry served as the Mayor of the most ethnically diverse square mile in America: Clarkston, Georgia from January 2014 – March 2020, where he was the youngest Mayor in Clarkston’s 135-year history.
He resides in DeKalb County with his wife Andrea and 4-legged fur-babies.
To learn more about Commissioner Terry, his platforms and how to stay up to date on the latest from his office, visit www.commissionertedterry.com.
Follow the Commissioner on social media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
ABOUT Amplify Georgia Collaborative
The Amplify Georgia Collaborative (Amplify) is a home for collective, bold, abortion-out-loud programming, grounded in reproductive justice and rooted in the South. Our collaborative is anchored by nine reproductive justice organizations and allies. Together we work to protect and expand abortion access in Georgia through collaborative, issue-based, nonpartisan campaigns that provide education, produce policy wins, and build the power of communities most impacted by abortion restrictions.
ABOUT Feminist Center for Reproductive Liberation
Feminist Center for Reproductive Liberation (formerly Feminist Women’s Health Center) is an Atlanta- based nonprofit committed to a vision of accessible reproductive health care for all. To achieve our vision we offer compassionate, affordable reproductive health care, free community programming, and grassroots organizing opportunities.
ABOUT ARC-Southeast
ARC-Southeast provides funding and logistical support to ensure Southerners receive safe and compassionate reproductive care including abortion services. Through education and leadership development, we build power in communities of color to abolish stigma and restore dignity and justice. We envision a world where all Southerners have full access to care and support around their reproductive health decisions without biases or barriers.ower in communities of color to abolish stigma and restore dignity and justice. We envision a world where all Southerners have full access to care and support around their reproductive health decisions without biases or barriers.
