South Side Groups Launch Free Doula Program for 80 Families

Two South Side organizations partnered in May to launch a free doula program to address rising maternal mortality rates among Black women in Chicago.

South Side Healthy Community Organization and Chicago Birthworks Collective will provide no-cost birth support services to 80 families who are uninsured or covered by Medicaid.

The program includes three prenatal visits, two postpartum visits, birth preparation and education, labor and delivery support, and postpartum wellness services.

“This collaboration has been important to ensure that we are providing preventive measures and support services before these disparities are happening,” said Keyonna Tompkins, maternal health program manager at South Side Healthy Community Organization.

The partnership addresses stark health inequities documented in state data. Between 2021 and 2022, Black women were more than twice as likely to die from any pregnancy-related condition and three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related medical conditions than white women, according to an Illinois Department of Public Health report published in November.

Black women continued to have the highest pregnancy-related mortality ratio compared to all other racial and ethnic groups during that period and saw an increase compared to data from 2015 to 2017.

South Side Healthy Community Organization formed in 2021 through the state’s Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives to confront chronic health disparities. The organization connects uninsured patients and Medicaid recipients to health centers and community resources.

Tayo Oyafemi Mbande, co-founder of Chicago Birthworks Collective, said the partnership fills critical gaps in maternal care.

“The collaboration was similar to merging pieces of a puzzle together to make sure nothing falls through the cracks and present a more whole picture of what maternal health care can look like,” Mbande said.

The program addresses a financial barrier that prevents many families from accessing doula services. Birth workers’ incomes typically are not supported by insurance companies, making the cost prohibitive for many families.

“The cost is high because people’s time is valuable, and the hard work of doula work is often overlooked, but that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t be able to access it,” Mbande said.

The organizations hope to expand beyond the initial 80 slots as the program develops.