Birth Justice in Action: Supporting Doulas and Midwives to Reduce Maternal Health Disparities

Academic Mentor | Tuyet Mai Hoang
Community Partner | Urbana-Champaign Reproductive Justice (UCRJ)

Project Description
Reproductive Justice emphasizes the right to raise children in environments free from harm, making Birth Justice an essential part of this vision. In Illinois, Black birthing individuals are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts. Birth Justice advocates for support systems such as doulas and community midwives to improve care and reduce maternal mortality rates of BIPOC populations.

In 2025, Urbana-Champaign Reproductive Justice (UCRJ) is launching the CU Birth Fund, which will provide financial support to doulas and home-birth midwife services for pregnant people of color in East Central Illinois. To inform and strengthen this initiative, UCRJ seeks to better understand the needs of birth workers in the region. This project will involve interviewing doulas and midwives to document their experiences, needs, and visions for the future of perinatal care. The findings will be used to create a centralized resource list, improve communication and support systems for birth workers, leading to better birth outcomes.

Role of the Community-Academic Scholar
The scholar will contribute to every phase of the project and:

• Develop a survey and identifying potential participants
• Conduct interviews with doulas and midwives, either in person or via virtual platforms, to gather insights about their work, challenges, and support needs
• Summarize these findings into a comprehensive resource list that highlights available services and funding opportunities
• Work closely with UCRJ to improve communication between the birth worker community and the CU Birth Fund
• Collaborate with academic and community mentors to ensure the project reflects the voices and experiences of the region’s birth workers