Carol’s Daughter partnered with the Mama Glow Foundation on Tuesday to encourage positive birth outcomes by providing grants that include doula services for Black families in need. Black women have been subjected to higher maternal mortality rates in the United States.

According to Black Enterprise, Carol’s Daughter CEO Lisa Price and Mama Glow Foundation CEO and prominent doula Latham Thomas have collaborated to fund doula services and afford educational grants for aspiring birth workers. The grants will be available through their Love Delivered initiative.

The Love Delivered grants became available on December 7. Black birthing folks can now apply for a grant to be paired with a Mama Glow-trained doula for complimentary maternal support. Black women who are pregnant or recently postpartum will have access to the funds if they’re located in NYC (Metro-Area), Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C., with other major cities to follow.

“I WAS BLESSED TO HAVE MY HUSBAND, AND DEAR FRIEND SERVE AS MY BIRTHING ADVOCATES. THEY RECOGNIZED MY NEEDS AND SPOKE TO ME AND UP FOR ME IN SO MANY WAYS,” PRICE SAID.

“My hope is that with this grant program, more Black birthing people are heard and supported, and most of all, lives are saved.”

Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women — with 60 percent of these deaths classified as preventable, according to a CDC report from 2019. 

“These disparities are devastating for families and communities, and we must work to eliminate them,” said Emily Petersen, M.D., medical officer at CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health and lead author of the report. “There is an urgent need to identify and evaluate the complex factors contributing to these disparities and to design interventions that will reduce preventable pregnancy-related deaths.”

The Love Delivered program will shed light on the maternal disparities in Black communities by raising awareness about Black maternal health. They’re dedicated to informing 100 million people and directly engaging 10,000 to become advocates through event activations, maternal health forums, webinars, access to resources, and Love Delivered self-care gifting by 2024, Black Enterprise reported.

“BIRTH IS MEANT TO BE A JOYFUL, TRANSCENDENT AND EMPOWERING EVENT. EVERYONE DESERVES TO HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE, AFFORDABLE, RESPECTFUL AND DIGNIFIED CARE THROUGHOUT THE PERINATAL CONTINUUM,” THOMAS SAID.

“Mama Glow doulas approach care from a trauma-informed framework and can help to support families impacted by injustice and inequity, grounding them with tools for advocacy, healing, transformation, and empowerment.”

If you’re an expecting mother or know someone who requires doula services, click here for more information.