DMV COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS HUB
At Tristate Doula Collective, we believe that strong families build strong communities, and strong communities help families thrive. We also recognize that community workers—including doulas and other frontline support professionals—need access to resources, education, and support in order to sustainably serve.
By strengthening connections between families, resources, and community workers, we hope to contribute to healthier, more equitable outcomes for families throughout the DMV area.
WHAT WE DO
Community Connections
We believe that community is an extension of family, and that both families and communities deserve access to resources that help them survive, grow, and thrive. We understand that communities are built by strong families, and families are strengthened when the health and wellbeing of the entire community is promoted and prioritized.
The Tristate Doula Collective’s DMV Community Connections Hub was created to connect community members, doulas, aspiring doulas, and other community workers with support resources throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia tristate area.
While our work is rooted in birth equity, we recognize that birth outcomes do not exist in isolation. The same social, economic, and structural conditions that affect maternal and infant health also influence the health, wellbeing, and opportunities available to families and communities throughout every stage of life.
Birth Equity Education
Achieving birth equity requires addressing the structural and institutional barriers that affect maternal and infant health outcomes.
We are dedicated to improving access to birth workers in communities where maternal and infant health outcomes are disproportionately affected by race, ethnicity, culture, language, disability, socioeconomic status, and identity.
We are committed to equipping our community with educational resources that foster a deeper understanding of birth equity, promote awareness of birth equity issues, and illuminate the impact of structural inequality on birth outcomes.
We recognize that birth equity cannot be achieved without improving access to care, strengthening community support systems, and addressing the conditions that have created and continue to create unequal outcomes and health disparities.
Scholarships for Doulas
We compile scholarship opportunities that help members of communities whose maternal and/or infant health outcomes are affected by structural inequities tied to race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability status, language access needs, religion, gender identity, and other demographic markers leaving families subject to systemic biases. By reducing financial barriers and increasing workforce diversity, we hope to help expand access to culturally responsive care and to advance birth equity throughout the DMV area.
We believe that communities most affected by maternal and infant health disparities deserve access to doulas who understand their experiences, cultures, languages, and needs. Expanding the diversity of the doula workforce is one way to strengthen birth equity and improve access to culturally responsive support.
Our Vision
We envision a future where all families are connected to the services they need, where community workers are equipped to serve effectively, and communities are strengthened through collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and collective care.
The Tristate Doula Collective is committed to highlighting resources that reduce barriers and expand access for the beautifully diverse communities of the DMV area.
We prioritize resources that are accessible, inclusive, affordable, culturally responsive, and community-centered. Our goal is to connect families, community members, and community workers with services, programs, and opportunities that support health, stability, and well-being of entire family ecosystems.
Our Mission
The Tristate Doula Collective aims to advance birth equity by expanding access to doulas, community resources, and educational opportunities throughout the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia tristate area. We recognize that maternal and infant health outcomes are shaped by the broader systems and conditions that affect families before, during, and after birth.
By empowering doulas as community connectors, strengthening whole-family support systems, and improving continuity of care we work toward promoting healthier families, stronger communities, and more equitable maternal and infant health outcomes both in our own backyard and nationwide.
Becoming a Community Doula in the DMV
This guide offers key information about becoming a birth and/or postpartum doula in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Gain an understanding of a doula's work, how to become a doula, pathways to state certification in DC, MD, and VA and how to accept Medicaid as a community doula practicing across state borders.