Recognizing both the value of doulas with their relational focus in improving perinatal outcomes and the limited resources available to grow and sustain this workforce, Nurture Connection, the Center for the Study of Social Policy, and HealthConnect One joined together in partnership with community-based doulas in a two-year project designed to explore the role of doulas in advancing early relational health. Nurture Connection’s “Community-Based Doulas and Early Relational Health: The Role of Public Policy and Financing” report offers policy recommendations to support the practice of community-based doulas based upon learnings from this partnership. These recommendations fall into three major categories: 1) use of Medicaid to finance doula services, 2) administrative mechanisms to support doula practice, and 3) resources to provide training and supervision to grow and sustain the workforce. For any policy action, Nurture Connection recommends engaging doula providers, their organizations, and the people they serve.
This project was funded by the Pritzker Children’s Initiative, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Burke Foundation.