Community Doulas of South Jersey

The Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative (SNJPC) is a non-profit, perinatal health network licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) as one of three regional Maternal and Child Health Consortia in the state. SNJPC's mission for more than 30 years has been to improve perinatal and pediatric outcomes in the seven southern counties through the collaborative efforts of hospitals, public health agencies, professionals, and consumers. 

This project, a collaborative effort with the DOH, is a component of the DOH’s statewide Healthy Women Healthy Families initiative. It supports efforts to address the high rate of Black infant mortality in New Jersey by developing a community doula program that serves Camden and Atlantic City.  As a first step in this effort, SNJPC recruits women living in these communities to become doulas. Once selected, the doulas attend an eight-day training using the Uzazi Village Perinatal Doula Curriculum, which focuses on the experiences of women of color. Working with Community Health Workers (CHWs), the doulas reach out and engage women who are pregnant, accompany them to three prenatal appointments and the labor and delivery. In addition, the CHWs have two in-person visits with each woman during the postpartum period, providing them with support and information about local resources and services that promote child and family wellness.

SNJPC is one of three organizations participating in this initiative. The other two organizations are:

• SPAN Parent Advocacy Network
• Children’s Futures

Learn more about the Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative.