A DOULA STORY

Bringing community-based care to women and their babies

About the Project

A Doula Story, directed and produced by Danny Alpert of the Kindling Group, documents one woman’s fierce commitment to empower pregnant teenagers with the skills and knowledge they need to become confident, nurturing mothers. Using this story as a flashpoint for discussions about the need for quality, community-based care for underserved women, Active Voice and the Kindling Group launched a national campaign that included local cross-sector planning meetings, community screenings, and hands-on trainings for practitioners. Our campaign inspired the replication of the community-based model depicted in the film, and sparked new collaborations and public engagement to improve reproductive health care for women around the country.

Our Work

  • National braintrust and strategy development
  • Local braintrusts in five communities, with hospital adminstrators, teen advocates, maternal care specialists, funders, public health advocates, and community organizers
  • Pre-broadcast screenings in five communities
  • Screening at the National Press Club for key congressional staffers
  • Chaptered DVD and mini-discussion guide for practitioners using clips in trainings and workshops
  • Conference screenings
  • Resource materials in English, Spanish, and Japanese

Outcomes

  • Federal funding of community-based doula programs
  • Five communities replicated aspects of the community-based doula model featured in the film
  • More than 100 practitioners trained to use the film in their work
  • Heightened press attention around the value of community-based doula services

Key Partners

  • The Kindling Group
  • Marguerite Casey Foundation
  • Health Connect One
  • Healthy Teen Network
  • Doulas of North America

Film Trailer

Filmmaker Daniel Alpert

 

 

Gallery

AV PUBLICATIONS

  • Resource and Discussion Toolkit

    The guide provides tools for individuals and organizations that work with and care about teen parents. The guide supports conversations that strengthen support for teen parents, supplements curriculum for educators and peer resource coordinators who work with teens, and provides tools for teen and family service providers. Download the guide here.