Our Mission

To promote reproductive health literacy and equity and to provide access to effective reversible options for pregnancy prevention.

Our Vision

For all East Tennesseans to be empowered to maximize their potential without barriers to reproductive health.  

Our Values

• Everyone has the right to knowledge about how their bodies work.
• When individuals have access to accurate information AND access to contraception, they are better equipped to make decisions that are right for them and their family.
• Health services should be provided free of judgement in a caring, respectful, and safe manner.
• Every individual should be able to select the birth control method that is best for them.

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The History of A Step Ahead Foundation

A Step Ahead Foundation was founded in Memphis in 2011 by Claudia Haltom, driven by her 17 years of experience as a Juvenile Court Judicial Magistrate. From the bench, Haltom often saw and ruled on cases in which the parent was a single mother who had become pregnant while she was in school, dropped out, and had one or more babies before she was emotionally, physically, or financially prepared to provide for her children.

Before A Step Ahead Foundation was founded, these young women did not have easy access to the most effective methods of reversible birth control. Claudia Haltom resolved to devote her retirement to make sure these young women had access to birth control so they could plan their futures and achieve their full potential.

After seeing the success of A Step Ahead Foundation in Memphis, numerous cities across the state have sought to bring the life changing mission of A Step Ahead to their cities - including A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee. Our affiliate organization was founded in 2017, and has since grown to provide contraceptives to over 1500 individuals in our region. We hope to continue to see the same incredible outcomes in East Tennessee as seen in Memphis.

2021-2022 Form 990

2022 Annual Letter