{"id":334,"date":"2025-10-30T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/?p=334"},"modified":"2026-01-06T19:22:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T19:22:32","slug":"city-council-passes-council-member-gutierrezs-citywide-doula-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/2025\/10\/30\/city-council-passes-council-member-gutierrezs-citywide-doula-program\/","title":{"rendered":"CITY COUNCIL PASSES COUNCIL MEMBER GUTI\u00c9RREZ\u2019S CITYWIDE DOULA PROGRAM"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>This transformative legislation establishes a citywide initiative to expand access to free doula care, train birth workers, and support hospitals in creating doula-friendly environments.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>October 30, 2025 (New York)<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0\u00a0 At yesterday&#8217;s\u00a0Stated Meeting, the City Council\u00a0passed Council Member Jennifer Guti\u00e9rrez\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/legistar.council.nyc.gov\/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7408348&amp;GUID=6E1EF6D9-183A-4305-AD3E-FB6BE543C6BD&amp;Options=&amp;Search=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Intro 1285<\/a>, which would make the Citywide Doula Initiative a permanent program under the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). The bill guarantees ongoing access to free doula care for New Yorkers in underserved communities, expands training for birth workers, and pushes hospitals to adopt more inclusive, doula-friendly policies.Doula care saves lives and changes outcomes. A\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/comptroller.nyc.gov\/reports\/audit-report-on-the-new-york-city-department-of-health-and-mental-hygienes-oversight-of-doula-programs-in-underserved-neighborhoods\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent audit from Comptroller Brad Lander\u00a0<\/a>found that Black and Latina clients in the Citywide Doula Initiative had lower rates of C-sections, low birth weight, and pre-term births than Black and Latina\/o birthing people citywide. Free doulas are now available in all 33 high-need neighborhoods. Demand is rising fast: doula-attended births more than doubled \u2014 up 107% \u2014 from spring 2022 to spring 2023 and continued to grow in 2024. Notably, there were zero reported pregnancy-associated deaths among program clients from March 2022 through June 2024.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThis is what it means to build public health with equity at the center,\u201d<\/em><strong>said Council Member Jennifer Guti\u00e9rrez.<\/strong><em>\u201cWe are saying, as a city, that safe births are not a luxury. Every Black and Brown mother, every immigrant mother, every low-income mother deserves a trained advocate in the room, and we\u2019re making that a right \u2014 not a pilot, not a grant, not a maybe. Permanent.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Intro 1285 strengthens and makes permanent the pilot program, which Council Member Guti\u00e9rrez\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/codelibrary.amlegal.com\/codes\/newyorkcity\/latest\/NYCadmin\/0-0-0-154991\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">first codified in 2022<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; meaning no administration could roll back this initiative. The bill:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Makes the Citywide Doula Initiative permanent<\/li>\n<li>Requires DOHMH to continue offering no-cost doula services in neighborhoods with the highest rates of maternal health disparities.<\/li>\n<li>Expands doula training in birth equity, trauma-informed care, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and culturally competent support.<\/li>\n<li>Supports fair pay for doulas and builds a pipeline of community-based birth workers.<\/li>\n<li>Works with hospitals to remove barriers and adopt doula-friendly policies \u2014 including recognizing doulas as part of the care team.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>\u201cThis legislation represents a historic moment in maternal health equity and quality of care for traditionally underserved women in our city &#8211; and I commend Council Member Gutierrez for advancing this citywide Doula initiative,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0said\u00a0<strong>Council Member Julie Menin, Co-Chair of the Women\u2019s Caucus<\/strong>.\u00a0<em>\u201cBy guaranteeing mothers in financially vulnerable communities access to a trained doula, we are not only saving lives but transforming the birth experience into one of safety, dignity, and empowerment. This is a life-changing step for women and a vital advancement in how we support families from the very start.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThe ongoing maternal mortality crisis is one of the most devastating indicators of racial inequity in our city. Black women continue to face systemic failures within our healthcare system that have cost too many lives and shattered too many families,&#8221;\u00a0<\/em><strong>said Council Member Farah N. Louis, Chair of the Committee on Women and Gender Equity<\/strong>.\u00a0<em>&#8220;Our majority women-led Council has advanced significant legislation that takes a critical step toward transforming maternal care into a model of equity, accountability, and compassion, and as Chair, I applaud this legislation that ensures that every birthing person, regardless of race, income, or ZIP code, has access to the quality care and support they deserve before, during, and after pregnancy.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cAs a registered nurse,\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen firsthand how having a doula can change birth outcomes and save lives,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0said\u00a0<strong>Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, Chair of the Committee on Hospitals<\/strong>.\u00a0<em>\u201cMaking this program permanent means New York City is committing to equity, compassion, and care that centers the needs of every mother and baby. no matter their zip code or economic status. I commend Council Member Jennifer Guti\u00e9rrez for her leadership and strong advocacy to make birth equity a permanent part of our city\u2019s public health system.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cDoulas serve as a vital bridge between our healthcare system and our communities and represent an increasingly integral facet of perinatal care; they advocate for the safety, comfort, and dignity of birthing mothers, and support new families as they transition into parenthood,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>said\u00a0<strong>Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso<\/strong>.\u00a0<em>\u201cBy making this program permanent, New York City is recognizing that compassion, trust, and cultural competency save lives, especially for those historically marginalized by the traditional healthcare system. I applaud Council Member Guti\u00e9rrez for her leadership and commitment to advancing care, equity, and justice for this city\u2019s new and expecting parents.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cDoulas are an integral part of the care team, ensuring that families not only survive but truly thrive. They fill the gaps in access to care, resources, and support connecting families to both peers and professionals,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0said <strong>Charline Ogbeni of the Birth By Queens Birth and Wellness Center<\/strong>.\u00a0<em>\u201cDoula work is sacred and deeply reciprocal, offering opportunities to give and receive while reigniting the communal spirit of birth that once flourished. I wholeheartedly applaud the efforts to make New York City\u2019s Doula Program permanent, as doulas leave lasting impressions on babies, families, and entire communities.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The passage of this bill marks Council Member Guti\u00e9rrez and the Council\u2019s ensuring commitment to advancing birth justice and maternal health equity, ensuring that all pregnant and birthing New Yorkers have access to safe, compassionate, and informed care.<\/p>\n<p>###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>This transformative legislation establishes a citywide initiative to expand access to free doula care, train birth workers, and support hospitals in creating doula-friendly environments.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>October 30, 2025 (New York)<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0\u00a0 At yesterday&#8217;s\u00a0Stated Meeting, the City Council\u00a0passed Council Member Jennifer Guti\u00e9rrez\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/legistar.council.nyc.gov\/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7408348&amp;GUID=6E1EF6D9-183A-4305-AD3E-FB6BE543C6BD&amp;Options=&amp;Search=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Intro 1285<\/a>, which would make the Citywide Doula Initiative a permanent program under the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).<\/p>\n<p>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong><small><a href=\"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/2025\/10\/30\/city-council-passes-council-member-gutierrezs-citywide-doula-program\/\">READ MORE<\/a><\/small><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":232,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[179,194,184],"tags":[10,164,28],"class_list":["post-334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","category-healthcare","category-nyc","tag-district-34","tag-maternal-health","tag-maternal-mortality"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/232"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=334"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}