BBC’s community-based doula program extends intensive peer-to-peer support to families throughout pregnancy, during labor and birth, and up to babies’ first year.
BBC was formed in 2014 by African American trained Perinatal Support Persons (PSP) in the Glenville neighborhood. Since its inception, the organization has served as an agency for training, certifying, and employing PSPs who provide services for the women at highest risk for infant death.
In April 2016, with support from the Cleveland Foundation, BBC began its pilot program, in the Hough neighborhood, where the infant mortality rate was nearly 4 times the national rate of 5.748% of deaths per 1000 live births. This support enabled the organization to formalize its platform for recruiting, retaining, training, and hiring women from neighborhoods highly impacted by infant mortality to join our mission.
Since receiving 501c3 nonprofit status in 2017, BBC has served more than 600 clients and trained more than 75 women as Perinatal Support Professionals, combating the social determinants that lead to poor birth outcomes. Today, the organization sees between 250 and 300 clients between Summit and Cuyahoga County. The organization continues to train, prepare, educate and employ women to become birth workers. BBC’s grassroots and culturally centered model improves infant health, strengthens families, and establishes support to ensure ongoing family success.
A woman who heals herself, heals her mother, daughter, grandmother and every woman around her.
Birthing Beautiful Communities addresses the social determinants of health and real-life circumstances that at-risk mothers face, making them vulnerable to infant mortality. Infant mortality is highest amongst Black families. The core of the program is social cohesion, functioning as a safe space for real time learning opportunities that will increase the understanding of how and why systemic racism affects unborn Black children. BBC serves as a hub for the healing and empowerment for families, equipping them with tools and resources with the intention to increase the likelihood of infant survival up to one year and beyond.
Birthing Beautiful Communities mobilizes community residents and organizational partners to address the social, structural and economic determinants of health and promote health equity.