A maternity home is a service provided to pregnant women who lack a stable home environment (or any home). Maternity homes were previously known as homes for unwed mothers, and are occasionally still referred to as such. The Salvation Army opened its first "home for unwed mothers" in 1886. Other examples include Bethany Home in Minneapolis, MN, later renamed Harriet Walker Hospital.
References
Maternity home Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA