The Little Timmy Project created the BIPOC Doula Scholarship Fund to provide aspiring and current birth workers access to funding as they seek further training that will help reduce these alarming disparities in the BIPOC community.
Doulas are a focal point of The Little Timmy Project's work because birth parents supported by a doula have consistently better birth outcomes, including lower rates of intervention, better birth weights for babies, and better rates of initiating breastfeeding. We also know that the race of medical providers makes a difference, representation matters. For example, research shows us that when a Black baby is cared for by a Black health professional, infant mortality in the first year is cut in half. By providing more Black doulas the opportunity to serve Black mothers and birth parents, TLTP hopes to improve health outcomes for both the parent and the baby.
The BIPOC Doula Scholarship Program allows TLTP to support avenues and create accessible pathways to increase the representation of black and brown people in maternal and infant health care in Indiana. Scholarship applicants will be evaluated through a committee committed to maintaining an equitable and fair process for selection. Each of our committee members evaluating applicants is a woman of color, and a current doula or birth worker. Each scholarship recipient will receive a pre and post-survey regarding their training program of choice.
The Little Timmy Project will directly pay the trainer and or training program and each applicant will be required to have signed up for their prospective training within 6 months of the scholarship award unless extenuating circumstances disallow and an exemption has been approved by the Scholarship Committee. We hope to reduce infant and maternal mortality in one of the worst states in the nation by providing this opportunity and removing barriers to accessing quality education.
Scholarships must be used for a doula program approved by TLTP. The three programs applicants will be able to choose from are Doula Trainings International (DTI), SMC Full Circle Doula Training (Shafia Monroe) or Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings (BADT).
