Kaye Kanne, C.D.M., C.P.M.

Kaye Kanne, C.D.M., is the founder and Executive Director of the Juneau Family Birth Center. She created the non-profit birth center in 1998, evolving from her midwifery practice of 15 years in Juneau. The birth center was created in response to a need, voiced by her clients over the years, for an alternative to home or hospital birth. Kaye acted as the volunteer architect, contractor, and laborer while overseeing 70 volunteers to build the existing birth center.

Kaye has successfully lobbied midwifery legislation into law on numerous occasions, creating the Certified Direct-Entry Midwife licensing board in 1992 and serving on the board from its inception until her term limit was met in 2000. During this time she served as chair and helped craft the laws that govern Certified Direct-Entry Midwives today. Kaye is a preceptor with the National College of Midwifery and feels strongly that educating student midwives is vitally important. She supervises from one to four students at any given time at the birth center.

Kaye is the mother of three grown children and grandmother of one. Her midwifery career was inspired by the birth of two of her children at home and the empowerment she felt from her own experience working with a midwife. Her mission is to empower women in this same way, to allow them to utilize their full potential. Her love for women and families continues to motivate her to strengthen our community; one woman, one family at a time.