Community-based doulas are trained social service professionals who provide non-clinical emotional, physical, and informational support to expectant parents, starting during pregnancy and continuing throughout the postpartum period. Community-based doulas are one of 12 evidence-based policies included in our 2024 Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap, which details states’ progress toward implementing policies that are proven to impact the prenatal-to-3 system of care.
As of October 1, 2024, six states have implemented both of the key policy levers identified in the Roadmap—which include covering and reimbursing doula services under Medicaid and providing financial support for doula training and workforce development.
Just this year, seven states newly implemented Medicaid coverage for community-based doulas and three created new financial support opportunities for the community-based doula workforce.
Read the brief for more details on state progress.
The recently updated Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap provides insight into the core policy levers and further illustrates their interplay through vivid graphics, showcasing the variation in community-based doula policies across states.
