Community-based doulas have been increasingly recognized in recent years for improving health, reducing costs, and effectively addressing health disparities. However, their services have continued to be underfunded, which has plagued the ability to make them available on a broad scale.
In light of this potential to positively impact health and the existing barriers to sustainable funding, HealthConnect One (HC One) commissioned TRP Health Policy (TRP), a nationally recognized bipartisan policy firm, to research potential sustainable funding streams, policy opportunities, and strategies for sustaining community-based doula services.
This publication is a summary of that research, which focused on doulas but is also applicable to breastfeeding peer counselors, community health workers, and others working to improve maternal, infant, and family health outcomes.