Robust delivery and postpartum care requires a qualified and culturally responsive workforce, (“Legislature poised to require insurance coverage for expanded care for moms, babies,” June 25). The passage of Senate Bill 692 marks a powerful shift in maternal and infant health in Oregon. By requiring insurance coverage for expanded perinatal services, including those provided by doulas and lactation counselors and consultants, the state is acknowledging what community-based programs like ours have known for years: when you invest in care providers who reflect and understand the communities they serve, health outcomes improve.
Black Parent Initiative’s Sacred Roots Doula and Lactation Program has supported the training and mentorship of Black doulas and certified lactation counselors across the metro area, equipping more than 50 Black women with the education, certification and experience necessary to provide high-quality, culturally specific support to Black families.
In the past year alone, our doulas attended over 150 births. Their wraparound prenatal and labor support and extended postpartum and lactation care is critical in addressing disparities in a state where maternal and infant outcomes for Black families continue to lag.
Thanks to grant funding and partnerships, Sacred Roots has been able to offer these services free of charge, but this is not sustainable over the long term. This bill is a game-changer. It validates the life-saving work of doulas and lactation professionals, makes it possible for them to bill insurance and be paid equitably, and allows families to receive these vital supports without financial barriers.
We celebrate this step toward equity in maternal and infant health care.
Michelle Smith, Portland
Smith is a doula and program manager for Sacred Roots
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