Category: Canada

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Doula Training Canada Becomes Doula School Canada

September newsletter

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Q & A: Doula Canada’s Rebranding to Doula School

We’re thrilled to announce that Doula Canada is officially rebranding as Doula School! 🎉 This change reflects our evolving commitment to providing top-tier education and support to those passionate about birth work. As Doula School, we’ll continue to offer the same high-quality training you’ve come to expect, but with an expanded focus on community, innovation, and growth within the doula profession.

Why the change? We’re rebranding to “Doula School” to better reflect our unified mission of supporting you through learning, mentorship, and professional growth. This new name represents our commitment to a shared educational journey, whether you’re just starting out or expanding your practice.

Q1: Will the courses be staying the same?

You can expect the same high-quality content and resources from Doula Training Canada. Our commitment to providing valuable, comprehensive education remains steadfast. We’ve been working tirelessly behind the scenes for the past year doing a full educational audit of all courses, making lots of updates to our core offerings. We know that this will mark some of your lessons as incomplete that were previously complete and will add some new quizzes and assignments to the courses.

Please note that if you are very close to being done your course you DO NOT need to complete the new assignments, but we feel there is much benefit in you having access to them! If you’ve just begun your journey then we’d encourage you to go back and complete them when you can. Reach out to the mentorship with questions or if you need support with these changes. Anything you’ve previously submitted we continue to have access to, even if you don’t see it in your course outline anymore!

Q2: Will my certification still be valid?

Absolutely! Your certification remains fully valid, and all courses will continue to operate as usual. The rebranding to Doula School will not affect the terms of your certification or the recognition of your credentials. Everything will remain exactly as it was when you earned your certification through Doula Canada. You can rest assured that your qualifications are still recognized and respected within the industry, with the same commitment to excellence that you’ve always experienced.

Q3: Will the requirements change for those currently enrolled in courses?

New Changes to Education Units: Previously students were required to obtain additional Education Units (EUs) to complement their learning (in addition to the doula specific content you learn in the courses). We have now added requirements for CPR/First Aid, Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC), and a Food Handling Certificate (for postpartum doulas). To align with the latest standards and ensure comprehensive training, these have been added to the certification requirements. Please review these changes to understand how they may impact your certification process and reach out to us with questions/concerns. These new additions now REPLACE the EUs needed to certify. But please note that if you were almost ready to submit your certification documents based on the former requirements we will be happy to accept that instead.

Q4: What else is changing?

Enhanced Learning Materials: We have made updates and improvements to our training materials to reflect the latest knowledge and best practices. These changes are designed to enhance your learning and provide you with the most relevant and up-to-date information. Over the coming weeks you will see many new handouts that you can use in your practice and with your clients.

Q: How can I stay updated on the latest news from Doula School?

You don’t need to do anything differently! Just keep following us on social media, stay subscribed to our newsletter, and check our website as usual. Everything will remain the same except for our new branding, and we’ll continue to keep you updated with all the latest news and developments.

Still have questions? Send us an email.

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Categories
Anti-racism work Canada Health Care Maternal Mental Health Uncategorised

2024 Medicaid & CHIP Beneficiaries at a Glance: Maternal Health

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text title=”2024 Medicaid & CHIP Beneficiaries at a Glance: Maternal Health” css=”.vc_custom_1718910346497{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]In the United States, publicly-funded healthcare is provided through Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program). These are joint programs of state and federal governments that provide health insurance to low-income people, children, people with disabilities, and pregnant people. These eligibility parameters mean that there are individuals who are eligible for coverage during their pregnancies and the postpartum period who are not eligible at other times. Medicaid finances 41% of births in the United States. Federal law requires states to provide coverage up to 60 days postpartum. A bill in 2021 gave states the option of participating in an extended coverage program offering coverage up to one year postpartum.

Medicaid Insurance card with thumb holding it

In May 2024, Centres for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) released an infographic summarizing beneficiaries’ maternal health data. CMS collects demographic data on age, race and ethnicity, and geography. They collect outcome data on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity (SMM), underlying causes of maternal mortality, dental care access, postpartum contraceptive utilization, spacing between pregnancies, chronic conditions, timeliness of prenatal and postpartum care, smoking, behavioral health and substance use, neonatal abstinence syndrome, postpartum depression (PPD), preterm birth, and low-risk cesarean delivery. Additionally, they collect health system data on healthcare service provider distribution, state quality improvement activities, and state participation in an opt-in extended postpartum coverage program.

Key Take Aways

The data highlight key areas of disparity for Medicaid beneficiaries and provide an important road map for healthcare policymakers and system designers regarding where care could be enhanced. For example, the data show that Black birthers experience mortality 2.6 times more often than their white counterparts. This finding corroborates other research and supports advocacy efforts for publicly funded doula care as an intervention to reduce Black maternal mortality rates.  Another useful observation is that birthers under the age of 19 experience higher than average rates of PPD (22% compared to an average of 17%). This suggests that in addition to universal PPD screening, additional attention should be paid to this group during the postpartum period.

Black pregnant person with long braids and mustard coloured dress

This 9-page resource provides invaluable information to support US birthworker advocacy on expanded access to birth and postpartum doula care, freedom of provider choice and birth location, and mental healthcare. For birthworkers in Canada and other jurisdictions, it is an illuminating example of what can be learned from comprehensive demographic and outcome data collection practices.

 

Keira Grant (she/her) Inclusion and Engagement Lead – Racialized Communities

Keira brings a wealth of experience to the Online Community Moderator role. She is a Queer, Black woman with a twenty-year track record in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) education, projects, and community building initiatives.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
Anti-Oppression Anti-racism work Canada decolonization

Emancipation is a collective State of Mind: Birthworkers need to talk about slavery

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1717529438169{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]As a child, I loved the “Heritage Minutes” on CBC. These memorable 60-second spots about Canadian history stand out more in my mind today than most of what I learned in Canadian history classes. One of the most notable stories was the Heritage Minute about the Underground Railroad which chronicled the moment when an escaped, enslaved African American family realizes they have successfully made it to freedom in Canada. “We’s free! We’s in Canada” exclaimed the family as they embraced each other tearfully.

Like many Canadians, I was unaware of Juneteenth until a few years ago when President Biden proclaimed it a national holiday. June 19th is a significant date in US history because it is when the last group of enslaved people were emancipated approaching the end of the Civil War. As a nation with a strong tendency to congratulate itself for being the nation that American slaves escaped to, it can be difficult to see what this emancipatory celebration has to do with Canadian history or society.

In fact, slavery was a normalized way of life in the colonized territories that eventually became known as Canada for over 2 centuries. In the early days of the colonial process, Indigenous peoples were enslaved, along with Black people brought to the Americas by the trans-Atlantic slave trade. It ended in Canada in 1807 when slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire. In contrast, Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, fifty-eight years later.

So why is it important to talk about slavery today, and why is it relevant to birthworkers? To enslave people, you must first dehumanize them. The transatlantic slave trade codified beliefs about Black people that can’t be eradicated as easily as laws. These beliefs are alive and well, and responsible for much of the suffering experienced by Black people globally today. For example, on May 25, we commemorated the 4th anniversary of the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer. This is despite the many years the Black Lives Matter movement has raised awareness of similar incidents.

This is relevant to birth workers because this dehumanization is enacted in the health care system as well. We shared an article about “The Mothers of Gynecology” in February. The dehumanization that these enslaved women experienced as they were experimented on without anesthesia is the direct ancestor of the horror stories described by prominent Black figures such as Beyonce, Serena Williams, and Tatyana Ali. Their stories represent the stories of countless others who don’t have the same kind of platform, including many Canadian Black women and birthers.

As health researchers and policy-makers in the US struggle to combat the Black maternal and neonatal mortality crisis, growing evidence emerges that culturally competent doulas have a significant positive impact on Black maternal health outcomes. This evidence has led to an ever-increasing number of US jurisdictions providing public funding for doula care to ensure that this support makes it to families that need it most.

These strides forward are connected to a broader trend in US culture of acknowledging its racist past and that racism is still a part of the fabric of its nationhood.

Frankly, my observation as a Black woman who has lived in Canada for over 40 years is that as a nation, we are still stuck in denialist whitewashing. For example, while I had long since debunked the mythology of the underground railroad heritage minute, I had no idea that Indigenous people had been enslaved in Canada until I started researching this article.

We know that reconciliation cannot exist without truth. The path to collecting the same level of data that has made publicly funded doula care possible in the US begins with acknowledging that racism is as baked into our history and as prevalent in today’s social fabric as it is in the US.

Canadians observing Juneteenth can use today to learn about the history of Black and Indigenous enslavement in Canada and reflect on how it impacts the modern day. I highly recommend looking at the work of Black Canadian scholar and historian Dr. Afua Cooper. In particular, her book “The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montreal” is a great read.  It chronicles the tragic tale of an enslaved Black woman in Lower Canada (now Quebec) who was scapegoated and tortured into confessing to the great fire of 1734 in Montreal. Cooper’s prodigious research captures the nightmare of Canadian slavery and the early colonial period. Drawn largely from copious trial records, Angelique’s words are considered the earliest known first-person account of slavery in the New World.

 

Keira Grant (she/her) Inclusion and Engagement Lead – Racialized Communities

Keira brings a wealth of experience to the Online Community Moderator role. She is a Queer, Black woman with a twenty-year track record in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) education, projects, and community building initiatives.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
Anti-Oppression Anti-racism work Canada collaboration community decolonization Equity indigenous doula intersectionality national indigenous peoples day

Land Back, Bodies Back

Indigenous standing on the dock of a lake and greenary

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text title=”Land Back, Bodies Back” css=”.vc_custom_1717529147132{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Many settlers (i.e. all non-Indigenous residents on Indigenous land) are resistant to the Land Back Movement. Misinterpreting “Land Back” as a call for all settlers to “go back where they came from”, they often get scared, then angry.

I am a Black settler on Turtle Island and I support the Land Back Movement. I certainly have no intention of “going back where I came from”. Aside from the fact that this would split up my interracial family, my ancestors hail from a Caribbean island wherein there are more of us in the diaspora than there are living on the island. If all of us who are now settlers elsewhere suddenly “returned” this would lead to social chaos and economic collapse.

Land Back isn’t symbolic either. It is about restoring the stewardship of this land and its resources back to Indigenous people, ensuring they have self-determination. It’s about changing the narrative such that Indigenous ways of knowing and doing become the status quo.

I am ride or die for a Turtle Island stewarded by Indigenous leaders. Climate change is heating up quite literally, with “wildfire season” starting earlier with bigger outbreaks each year. There is growing talk of returning to Indigenous “controlled burning” practices to mitigate the devastation. Indigenous communities were forced to abandon the practice because their colonizers thought controlled burns were “barbaric”. It’s one of countless examples of traditional resource stewardship practices that were abolished to the detriment of all.

The Canadian state has a long history of interpreting its treaties with Indigenous nations in bad faith. Settler-colonists spuriously interpreted the land as meaning nothing more than the ground we are standing on. Where treaties have designated the land to specific nations, the state and its agents have still felt entitled to help themselves to the resources on that land, including plants, water, minerals, and animals.

Indigenous nations have a more holistic understanding of the land. Everything the land produces is part of the land and the Indigenous elders representing their people signed the treaties with that pragmatic worldview. Seen in this way, our bodies and families are also part of the land. As such, reproductive and perinatal health and services are significant arenas for the Land Back movement.

Indigenous midwives and doulas are at the forefront of actions to decolonize and reclaim birth. Here are a few examples of their initiatives that are bringing Indigenous birth back to the land:

 

  • Konwati’shatstenhsherawi’s means “Women are Giving Each Other Power” in the Mohawk language (Kanien’kéha). This collective trains Indigenous birth helpers to support birthing people using ancestral worldviews and practices. Since the grassroots program’s inception in 2017 demand has been high and the 4-person training team is busy teaching new cohorts all the time.

 

  • Call Auntie is an Indigenous-led sexual and reproductive healthcare clinic operating weekly at Toronto Birth Centre, and as a pop-up at other locations around the city. They offer a holistic suite of services rooted in traditional Indigenous knowledge, including mental health, primary care, and social support programs. Their service model emphasizes problem-solving, removing barriers, and community-led care.

 

  • Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada is making important strides forward in expanding access to traditional midwifery in remote northern communities. Their position is that this access is a health and cultural right for Inuit people. They recently published a report finding that governments do not provide adequate financial support to culturally safe sexual and reproductive health care. They advocate for an end to forced birth evacuation and a return to traditional birthing practices on the land.

 

  • Mālama Nā Pua o Haumea is a collective of Hawaiian traditional midwives who are working to reduce maternal mortality rates which are higher in Hawaii than in the continental US. Recently, legislation governing midwifery care has changed and they are now required to become certified nurse midwives (CNM) or certified professional midwives (CPM). Pale keiki (traditional Indigenous Hawaiian birth attendants) experience multiple institutional barriers to completing this certification, including cost and relocating to an urban centre. In contrast to these 4-year certification programs, pale keiki train with a mentor versed in intergenerational knowledge for over a decade. Some pale keiki are continuing to provide culturally safe care in Pidgin, despite these legislative changes. (US)

 

  • Kehewin Cree Nation has launched a program to train traditional midwives and has received federal funding to open a birth center on its territory. The nation aims to see more Cree babies born on their land and to honour sacred traditions such as placental ceremonies. Trainees in the program learn the knowledge of their midwife ancestors alongside Western medical knowledge. Four women are in the inaugural cohort and the program will take up to 4 years to complete. Kehewin Cree Nation anticipates these 4 trainees will be the first of many.

 

 

Keira Grant (she/her) Inclusion and Engagement Lead – Racialized Communities

Keira brings a wealth of experience to the Online Community Moderator role. She is a Queer, Black woman with a twenty-year track record in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) education, projects, and community building initiatives.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
Anti-Oppression birth Canada community Equity fear intersectionality LGBTQ2S+ pride reducing stigma sexual health shame

The Importance of Being Seen: Trans Day of Visibility & Pink Shirt Day

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When I was a kid, we were taught that not seeing differences, or being “colour-blind” was the right way to be “tolerant” and “accepting” of diversity. We hear echoes of this sentiment when we hear “They can do whatever they want behind closed doors, but why do they have to flaunt it in our faces?”

March 31 was Trans Day of Visibility and April 10 was International Day of Pink. Both observances attest to the importance of being seen as an integral dimension of human rights and inclusion. People who can only be their authentic selves behind closed doors can’t hold their same-sex partner’s hand during the anatomy ultrasound, or tell their care team that they want to be called “Papa” after they give birth. People who are forced to hide their identity behind closed doors are at risk of getting beaten up in bathrooms and dying by suicide behind closed doors. Trans people need to be seen so that kids like Nex Bennedict can go to school safely. Behind closed doors is exactly where abuse and violence hide.

Having safety to be seen means being able to fully participate in society. It boils down to countless everyday things that people take for granted when their identities are not contested. Being able to use public washrooms without risking confrontation or violence. Accessing information on reproductive health that normalizes your body and healthcare experiences. Not being asked to explain where your partner is at prenatal appointments when they are in the exam room with you. Being able to find pregnancy attire that aligns with your usual style.

Trans and queer people need to call for visibility and wear pink to get noticed so that we can lead normal lives.

As birth workers, here are some things we can do to help queer and trans folks feel seen in the reproductive and perinatal wellness sphere:

  • State explicitly in your promotional materials that you welcome and affirm queer and trans people
  • Use gender-neutral language in your promotional materials and handouts
  • Have open conversations with clients about their preferred pronouns and terms for their parenting roles and body parts.
  • Become familiar with resources in your community that support queer and trans families so you can make great referrals.
  • Educate yourself on health inequities faced by queer and trans birthers
  • Challenge queer and transphobia in yourself and others

You can find out more about Trans VisibilityVisibilty Day here

You can find out more about International Day of Pink here

 

Keira Grant (she/her) Inclusion and Engagement Lead – Racialized Communities

Keira brings a wealth of experience to the Online Community Moderator role. She is a Queer, Black woman with a twenty-year track record in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) education, projects, and community building initiatives.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
About Us Anti-Oppression Anti-racism work birth Canada

EDI Year in Review 2023

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1709738042033{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]A river may be so still that you can see your reflection, but its current is always in motion. This year has been a time of great change for Doula Canada as we have welcomed renewal in the form of new leadership. We have taken advantage of this transition to reflect on revitalizing our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion at DC and in the birth sphere. Our goal is to ensure that Doula Canada alumni have the necessary tools and frameworks to meet the diverse spectrum of birthing people, families, and communities with compassion, affirmation, and allyship. In the coming year, we will continue to apply the lessons learned from all of your insights to realize policy, curricula, and continuing education that sets doulas, reproductive health educators, and birthworkers up for long-term success in an ever-changing world. 

Here are some of the highlights of our actions in 2023 and our plans to advance our journey towards achieving social justice in our learning community and perinatal social systems in 2024.

 

Content & Communications

One of our goals is to ensure that DC alumni have access to a wealth of information that offers insight into the experiences of equity-seeking birthers and families, and tools to empower effective support. This year, we accomplished this by creating and publishing original articles, position statements, downloadable resources, and live-streamed discussions.  

Articles and Position Statements 

Our blog provides ongoing equity, diversity, and inclusion content that situates reproductive justice in the context of social issues, and that supports our learners to cultivate a deeper understanding of the social determinants of reproductive health. In 2023, our blog offered articles on trans inclusion, domestic and gender-based violence, truth and reconciliation, poverty, black maternal health, and many other essential perinatal health equity topics. 

We also endeavoured to be responsive to the impact of current events on community well-being by providing a statement on the Israel-Hamas conflict that offered comfort to our members and practical strategies for preserving emotional stability and community connectedness.

Downloadable Resources 

In 2023, we created three downloadable resources to provide practical guidance for birth workers. The first was our Advocacy Toolkit. The toolkit continues the work done in 2022 to develop an advocacy framework for Doula Canada. The Toolkit works through examples of the ingenious strategies that birthworkers use to promote client self-advocacy and advocate on behalf of clients in a manner that affirms their autonomy and right to informed consent.

Additionally, we created two resources to support human milk feeding. One is an infographic on human milk sharing that provides information on the risks and benefits of milk sharing, as well as safety guidelines that support families to make informed choices about their feeding options. The second is a curated Lactation Recipe Box with meal and snack ideas that are packed with ingredients that gently encourage milk production. 

Live Streams

We continued our tradition of hosting great conversations with experts and thought leaders from within Doula Canada and the broader birth world. Our guests offer insight into how they’ve applied their training and lived experience to facilitate clients’ access to equitable care. In 2023, topics included empowering teen birthers, debunking fatphobic reproductive health myths, barriers to fertility care, what we need to know about birthers who use testosterone, and the experiences of black families with more than “2.5 kids”. Content ideas were generated from discussions with our members at live events and online and from suggestions made using our anonymous feedback form. Our audience can access this content at any time from our Facebook page or our YouTube Channel.

In 2024, live streaming content will shift to a virtual, guest speaker Q&A series, opening with Support Men’s Lactation Like a Boss on February 29. 

Programming 

Doulas for Reconcili-ACTION

Committing to our Truth and Reconciliation Action Plan, we launched the Doulas for Reconcili-ACTION program. The Doulas for Reconcili-ACTION program aims to include non-Indigenous doulas in important conversations about the impacts of settler-colonialism, and build cultural humility skills in an applied workshop format. Our first workshop was held for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and focused on the historical traumas imposed on Indigenous communities, and the role of doulas in mitigating risk factors for Indigenous families.

In 2024, the Doulas for Reconcili-ACTION program will be running on a monthly basis. 

Webinars

Recognizing a need for community healing and dialogues in the aftermath of the disturbing events culminating in the arrest of Kaitlyn Braun in March of 2023, we hosted a session aimed at providing a safe container for community members to unpack the feelings arising from this distressing incident. The session was facilitated by Elizabeth Evans, RSW, and Psychotherapist and generated a presentation for community members on collective healing after traumatic events.

In order to provide practical support to our members regarding the implementation of ethical practice as defined by the law, we also hosted a webinar on understanding the legalities of your doula biz facilitated by Ane Posno, LLB, an expert in health and contract law at Lenczner Slaght. The first webinar of its kind at DTC, the live session provided vital information on documentation, confidentiality, and reporting obligations for doulas. 

Organizational Development 

Census

For the first time in its over 20-year history, DTC undertook a demographic census of its student and alumni population to learn more about how we can ensure that our content is responsive to our existing population and target our recruitment efforts to attract equity-seeking communities that may be underrepresented at DTC or in the birth work field. 

154 members completed the survey and the findings were illuminating. DTC’s population is highly diverse, with DTC members being more likely to be equity-seeking than the general population across several categories including Queer people, and some racial groups (e.g. Black, Indigenous). Other equity-seeking populations, such as disabled people have representation that is similar to the Canadian population.

One challenge with analyzing this data is that 6.5% of our sample are international but Canadian data has been used for comparison. Other limitations of this data set include categories not always being exactly aligned with the categories used by Statistics Canada, and questions that should be further segmented to create clarity, most notably education. 

On the whole, it appears that organizational efforts to ensure that equity-seeking members feel included and represented have been effective at attracting diverse students to our programs. In 2024 we should conduct an evaluation of the EDI climate to learn more about the quality of the learning experience for equity-seeking students, focusing on learning more about the experiences of underrepresented groups. In the case of underrepresented groups, DTC could also consider key informant interviews with individuals external to DTC to learn more about their needs in a birth worker training program and successful recruitment and retention strategies for their community.

Roll out of advocacy framework 

In addition to sharing the toolkit mentioned above, we are in the process of ensuring that the lessons learned from the advocacy initiative are incorporated into the anti-oppression module in our courses. The revised curriculum was piloted during the live session on anti-oppression for the fall 2023 cohort of the holistic doula program. The new content includes introducing learners to the 3 soft-advocacy techniques used by doulas as codified by S.S. Yam, namely 1) creating deliberative space, 2) culture and knowledge brokering, and 3) Spatial maneuvering. Live session attendees have the opportunity to discuss examples of how doulas use these advocacy techniques to benefit clients.

TRAP module

In 2023 we launched our truth and reconciliation module, which focuses on educating students about colonial violence toward Indigenous communities. This module was inspired by various universities that have mandated Indigenous Credit Requirements (ICR) to show respect to Indigenous communities, and foster reconciliation between settler and Indigenous groups. In 2024, applications will be open to students and alumni wanting to participate in a review of the Truth and Reconciliation Action Plan, including the module. This committee will also focus on creating a template for a wider five year TRAP outline.

 

What’s Next

In 2024, we will continue to grow equity, diversity, and inclusion within DTC by undertaking a review of our policies and curricula, developing original video content and offering a mix of new and remounted webinars that build reproductive justice facilitation capacity within our birth work community. 

 

We’re grateful to our alumni community for always inspiring us to continue this important work. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”534490″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1709738266702{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Keira Grant (she/her) Inclusion and Engagement Lead – Racialized Communities

Keira brings a wealth of experience to the Online Community Moderator role. She is a Queer, Black woman with a twenty-year track record in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) education, projects, and community building initiatives.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
Canada community Health Care

Learning from US Healthcare on Doula Access

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1706711380769{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]I vividly remember “The Greatest Canadian”, a 13-part  competitive series produced by CBC in 2004. Each week, a biographical documentary on individuals who have made a great contribution to Canada aired, including Terry Fox, David Suzuki, and Tommy Douglas. Viewers got to vote on who the greatest Canadian of all time was. Tommy Douglas, recognized as the father of publicly funded health care in Canada, emerged victorious. 

Douglas’ win says a lot about the value we attach to our healthcare system and the national pride we take in making sure that every Canadian has access to the care they need. We often look to our American neighbours with pity when we hear about $700+ a month insurance plans ($2000+ for a family plan) or families going into debt or going bankrupt to pay for life-saving treatment. But if the Canadian healthcare system is so superior to that of the US, why is publicly-funded doula access expanding by leaps and bounds in the US, while progress on the same front has been stagnant in Canada?

Over the last few years, an increasing number of jurisdictions in the US have made doula care payable via Medicaid. Medicaid is public health insurance for people who are unable to access private coverage. 11 States that have introduced Medicaid-funded doula care programs include New York, California, and Michigan. California cites familiar research as the rationale for its decision: “doula care was associated with positive delivery outcomes including a reduction in cesarean sections, epidural use, length of labor, low-birthweight and premature deliveries. Additionally, the emotional support provided by doulas lowered stress and anxiety during the labor period”. 

One reason why advocates for publicly funded doula care have gained more traction in the US is that the US collects race-based healthcare data, along with information on many other social determinants of health. This data has demonstrated significant disparities in perinatal outcomes based on race, income, and other factors. The Black maternal and neonatal mortality crisis has emerged as a system disaster that requires urgent solutions. Combined with a growing body of health research demonstrating that doulas are an effective intervention that improves outcomes for Black birthers and babies, this has made a strong case for access to doula care for Black and other at-risk communities.

In Canada, we have the same research to show that doulas solve a problem, but we don’t have the same amount of data to show that there’s a problem to solve. That being said, while our race-based data collection needs to improve, we do collect data on other topics. In 2023 OBGYN researchers at McMaster University published findings on operative deliveries and 3rd and 4th-degree tears in Canada. They found that “among high-income countries, Canada has the highest rate of maternal trauma after births in which tools like forceps and vacuums are used”. Sadly, their research only compares operative deliveries (forceps/vacuum) to surgical deliveries (cesarean sections). They do not take into account the ample evidence that California and other US jurisdictions considered showing that support from a birth doula reduces the likelihood of any of these interventions. 

Not only do we need to collect data that demonstrates the impact of the social determinants of health, we need to put the research we do have into action. This action needs to encompass the role that all care providers play in improving conditions and outcomes for birthing people. This includes ensuring that all birthers can access the reduction in medical interventions and related increases in good birth outcomes and satisfaction that skilled doula support can achieve. [/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”534490″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1706711516822{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Keira Grant (she/her) Inclusion and Engagement Lead – Racialized Communities

Keira brings a wealth of experience to the Online Community Moderator role. She is a Queer, Black woman with a twenty-year track record in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) education, projects, and community building initiatives.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
birth Business Canada Childbirth Educator

Insurance Announcement

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1707147428773{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]We are thrilled to announce a huge win in our movement for better access to doula care in Canada. Effective immediately, Sun Life has approved that Doula Training Canada certified doulas are on the list of approved providers whose clients can use their benefits for coverage IF they have that coverage in their plan!

This will make it easier for thousands of people to afford the cost of this life-changing support. Doula Canada is so proud to be considered a leading certification organization for doulas in Canada and find itself listed alongside the two other largest organizations internationally (DONA and CAPPA). As we continue our strategic growth initiatives, we will continue to expand the work we do to advocate for families’ access to doula care in Canada and around the world. 

How to Help Your Clients Get Reimbursement

For your clients to be able to submit receipts for reimbursement from Sun Life, invoices must contain the following information:

  • Your Full Legal Name and company name
  • Address
  • Services provided
  • Service dates

Price (if you collect tax, your tax number is legally required to be on all your receipts/invoices)

The certification/graduation number that was included in your graduation letter from DTC.

Please also keep in mind that not everyone that has SunLife coverage will be able to use their benefits for doula reimbursement. Insurance and benefit plans are complex and vary from person to pereson. Clients should confirm their coverage to be sure of what might be covered.

If you would like us to send you an updated certification document with your certification number please email us at info@doulatraining.ca and we’ll be happy to email you a new certificate.

While this is undoubtedly a huge win for DTC doulas and our clients, we don’t intend to rest on our laurels. We will use what we have learned from our success with Sun Life to continue to advocate for more insurance companies to cover doula care! A reminder that each person’s plan is different and not all customers will qualify. They should check with Sunlife for their specific coverage. 

If you have any questions please feel free to email us anytime at info@doulatraining.ca

Doula Training Canada

www.DoulaTraining.ca[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
Anti-Oppression birth Canada community Equity Trauma

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1698093869318{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]The rising cost of food and collective grocery store anxiety rest on a bed of other precarious conditions. The price of everything has gone up. We are still seeing empty shelves in stores “post” pandemic as we head to the mall in shorts on a 33-degree October day. There are numerous causes for feeling uncertainty.

When society gets taken for a ride, children come right along with us. As someone who works with babies and families, on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty I’m reflecting on the fact that 50% of the world’s children are affected by poverty. 

Most of these children are not where I am sitting, in a high-cost-of-living, high-standard-of-living urban centre in Canada. However, people where I am are still afraid of not having enough, and it’s making many people afraid to start a family.

These fears are justified. Raising children is expensive, and we are facing a food crisis, a housing crisis, a climate crisis, and a healthcare crisis. People and families live in a lot of isolation which makes feeling secure challenging. Poverty has a significantly adverse impact on outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth, and on how all aspects of your life go from there.

Support from a doula reduces the risk of many of the adverse outcomes that poverty increases the risk of. Sadly, individuals who can benefit the most from improved outcomes are those who are least able to pay the cost of hiring a doula. 

Doulas and birth workers are a compassionate bunch. No one in this profession is here to get rich, and we want to provide our services to people who can benefit from them the most. However, we also have ourselves and our families to care for, and doing this work well takes time. Far too many kind-hearted people who have trained long and hard and love this work leave after a few years, turning to less rewarding work that pays the bills. When this happens, the doula’s skills go to waste and their community loses out on the transformative care they could have received.

Advocates within the doula sphere are exploring options to improve community access to doula support while making a long-term career in this field more sustainable. At Doula Canada, we are doing our part by developing a briefing note that will elucidate opportunities and challenges in the current perinatal care landscape, the potential for doulas and childbirth educators to leverage these opportunities and solve these challenges, and models whereby doula care could be cost-effectively funded by a mix of social partners including different levels of government, insurance companies, and foundations. This initiative is directed by the Advocacy Working Group, comprised of Doula Canada members and staff. The Advocacy Working Group is part of our commitment to manifest a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) action within our school. Stay tuned for more on the Doula Access Initiative in the coming months.

To connect with the Advocacy Working Group at Doula Canada, email Keira Grant, EDI Co-Lead at keira@doulatraining.ca.

 

Keira Grant (she/her) Inclusion and Engagement Lead – Racialized Communities

Keira brings a wealth of experience to the Online Community Moderator role. She is a Queer, Black woman with a twenty-year track record in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) education, projects, and community building initiatives.

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Categories
Anti-Oppression Canada Equity indigenous doula understanding bias

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1694354019009{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]September 30th marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, also known as Orange Shirt Day. The day is a national day of remembrance and reflection on the historic and current violence and oppression toward Indigenous Peoples. As a vocational school, we encourage our non-Indigenous students to participate in workshops, lectures, sharing circles, vigils, and more on September 30th.

The “every child matters” slogan dawned on orange shirts resonates deeply with us as doulas and care workers. As doulas we work intimately with families, infants, and children. The tragedies of the residential school systems and 60’s scoop, as well as the current oppression and violence toward Indigenous families in the forms of child apprehension, incarceration, birth alerts, and more are horrific and unacceptable, and impacts the families and communities we belong to and work with.

As doulas and allies, it is crucial to educate ourselves about the actions, policies, and systems that disproportionately impact Indigenous families, especially those that directly impact the work we do in terms of advocacy, intergenerational care, and reproductive justice. It is our duty to critically reflect on our identities, experiences, and our relationship to wider systems.

We understand that National Day for Truth and Reconciliation can bring up difficult emotions and be potentially triggering for our Indigenous students. We will be hosting a Indigenous-only peer support sweetgrass circle on October 1 from 1-3 EST on Zoom to debrief together. Contact kayt@doulatraining.ca to register. You can also check in 0n our progress here at Doula Canada by reviewing our NTRD Progress Report, which includes our goals between now and 2028.

Don’t know where to get started? Here are some ideas:

  • Follow Indigenous creators on Tiktok, Instagram, and other platforms
  • Take the University of Alberta’s free Indigenous Canada Course
  • https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html
  • Search up Kairos Blanket Exercises near you
  • Read up on the 94 Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
  • Register for Doula Canada’s Doulas for Reconcili-ACTION Orange Shirt Day workshop
  • “Who Am I: Locating Oneself in Settler-Colonialism, A Conversation on Oppression Privilege, and Allyship” on September 30th from 1-3 PM EST on Zoom. $30, with all proceeds going to Aunties on the Road
  • Apply for our Truth and Reconciliation Action Plan Committee to contribute to our TRAP Five Year Plan
  • Assist in knowledge mobilization. Tag @doulacanada with the hashtag #doulasforreconciliaction on social media to share what you learned on September 30th that you think would benefit your fellow allies.

We understand that not everyone will have the same time, resources, finances, etc. to participate in some of the activities for the day. If you’re reflecting internally, please consider the following prompts (designed for non-Indigenous students).

  • What preconceived biases have been instilled in me about Indigenous Peoples? Where did I learn them from?
  • Whose land do I reside on? What is the story of the land here? (If applicable) How have I benefited from white/settler privilege?
  • Does the word “settler” make me uncomfortable? Why or why not?

Wishing you all a meaningful and educational National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Miigwetch,

Kayt Ward, EDI Co-Lead, BSW[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]