We take action and share knowledge with Community-Based Doulas, Breastfeeding Peer Counselors & other CHWs so birth workers’ voices are heard
Taking Action for Birth Equity
Mobilizing doulas, breastfeeding peer counselors and other Community Health Workers is at the heart of our work.
In 2017 HealthConnect One launched the Birth Equity Leadership Academy, a national network focused on birth equity and centering community voices. BELA participants came from 27 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. More about BELA is on our Resources page.
In 2020, building on our work with BELA we created the Birth Equity Action Network to provide birth workers a platform to share stories and take action. This network is a movement of CHWs, doulas and lactation specialists, skilled in peer-to-peer learning, who speak with the voice of experience on the need for these services in marginalized communities.
Supporting Policy Initiatives
We take positions on issues of importance to maternal and child health and educate legislators and regulators at the local, state and federal level on issues related to birth equity, maternal mortality, and perinatal health.
A list of positions we’ve taken is here.
Recent Advocacy & Policy Articles
- Congress, We Need Permanent Maternal Health Aid
Our country’s maternal health crisis is an active policy choice – one that enables entirely preventable deaths of our nation’s mamas, […] - Doulas and Postpartum Home Visits May be Covered Under Medicaid in New Illinois Proposal
On Friday, the Illinois legislature will start discussing a new bill that would allow doulas to be covered under Medicaid. The […]
