Ostara Initiative

WE EXIST TO COLLECTIVELY TRANSFORM SYSTEMS BY REIMAGINING JUSTICE, ADVANCING HEALTH, AND RECLAIMING DIGNITY IN OUR POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR ALL PREGNANT AND PARENTING PEOPLE.

IN 2023, THE MINNESOTA PRISON DOULA PROJECT SAW AN INCREASE IN REFERRALS FOR COMMUNITY DELIVERIES UNDER THE HEALTHY START ACT. THERE WAS ALSO A SHIFT TOWARDS SUPPORTING PARENTS THROUGH EDUCATION AND PEER SUPPORT, SERVING 379 INDIVIDUAL PARENTS AND CONDUCTING 275 PARENTING EDUCATION GROUPS ACROSS SEVEN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES. IN ALABAMA, THE ALABAMA PRISON BIRTH PROJECT INTRODUCED DOULA SUPPORT DURING PARENT/INFANT VISITS AND MICRO GRANTS FOR CAREGIVING FAMILIES, WHILE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE HEALTHY MEALS, DOULA SUPPORT, AND EDUCATION, WITH NINE CLIENTS PUMPING 7,372 OUNCES OF MILK. THEY ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE ALABAMA MATERNAL HEALTH TASK FORCE AND THE ALABAMA OPIOID OVERDOSE AND ADDICTION COUNCIL. EIGHTA FOCUSED ON A FIVE-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS TO PROVIDE VOCATIONAL DOULA TRAINING AND PREGNANCY SERVICES, INCLUDING SUPPORT FROM PREGNANCY TO THE INFANT'S FIRST BIRTHDAY. THEY ALSO HELD A CONVENING IN WISCONSIN TO EXPLORE THE CREATION OF A PRISON BIRTH PROJECT THERE, DOCUMENTING THEIR DISCUSSIONS IN A REPORT AVAILABLE TO INTERESTED PARTIES.MINNESOTA PRISON DOULA PROJECTTHIS YEAR WE RECEIVED MORE REFERRALS FOR CLIENTS PLANNING TO DELIVER IN THE COMMUNITY ON ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION, MOSTLY UNDER THE HEALTHY START ACT. OVERALL, WE SUPPORTED LESS BIRTHS AND MORE PARENTS THROUGH PARENTING EDUCATION AND PEER SUPPORT. THIS IS DUE TO FURTHER RELATIONSHIP BUILDING THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND ADDITIONAL PROGRAM EXPANSION DIRECTED TOWARD JUSTICE IMPACTED FATHERS. SLOWLY WE ARE WORKING TOWARD THE GOAL OF ENDING PRISON BIRTH IN AMERICA BY ENDING IT HERE IN MINNESOTA. OUR PARENTING EDUCATION GROUPS INCREASED TO 275 GROUPS ACROSS SEVEN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES. WE SERVED 379 INDIVIDUAL PARENTS IN 2023. ALABAMA PRISON BIRTH PROJECTALABAMA PRISON BIRTH PROJECT (APBP) IMPLEMENTED 2 NEW SERVICES IN 2023 - PROVIDING DOULA SUPPORT AT IN-PERSON PARENT/INFANT VISITS AND MICRO GRANT SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVING FAMILIES. WE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE OUR REGULAR SERVICES. THOSE INCLUDED PROVIDING HEALTHY, NUTRIENT-DENSE MEALS TO EVERY CLIENT ON A WEEKLY BASIS, AS WELL AS SNACKS FOR A SECOND DAY OF THE WEEK. WE PROVIDED 380 HOURS OF 1:1 DOULA SUPPORT TO CLIENTS AND PROVIDED GROUP EDUCATION AND SUPPORT EACH WEEK TO 31 INDIVIDUAL PARENTS (19 PREGNANT, 11 POSTPARTUM). NINE CLIENTS PUMPED MILK IN 2023, VISITING THE PUMPING ROOM 1,920 TIMES AND PUMPING 7,372 TOTAL OUNCES OF MILK. WE ALSO PROVIDED 101 CUSTOMIZED COLORING PAGES FOR PARTICIPANTS TO SEND HOME TO THEIR CHILDREN FOR COLORING.APBP STAFF SERVED ON THE ALABAMA MATERNAL HEALTH TASK FORCE (AL-MHTF), SPEARHEADED BY THE ALABAMA QUALITY PERINATAL COLLABORATIVE AND UAB SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN 2023. WE JOINED A GROUP OF 34 ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERS TO "DEVELOP A COLLECTIVE VISION FOR MATERNAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENT ACROSS THE STATE AND DRIVE CHANGE. ADDITIONALLY, APBP LEADERS WERE ACTIVE MEMBERS AND PARTICIPANTS IN THE MONTHLY MEETINGS OF THE MATERNAL CHILD HEALTH/SUBSTANCE USE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE ALABAMA OPIOID OVERDOSE AND ADDICTION COUNCIL.EIGHTATHIS YEAR THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF EIGHTA HAS BEEN TO IMPLEMENT A LARGE CONTRACTED PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS (BOP). THIS FIVE-YEAR PROJECT HAS TWO COMPONENTS, A VOCATIONAL DOULA TRAINING FOR INCARCERATED PEOPLE, AND PREGNANCY SERVICES FOR INCARCERATED BIRTHING PEOPLE IN BOP CUSTODY. THE PREGNANCY SERVICES INCLUDE INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT THROUGH DOULA CARE IN PREGNANCY AND UP UNTIL THE INFANT'S FIRST BIRTHDAY, WEEKLY PRENATAL AND POSTPARTUM EDUCATION AND SUPPORT GROUPS, AND LACTATION SUPPORT. THE VOCATIONAL DOULA TRAINING WILL TRAIN 50 NEW DOULAS EACH YEAR, THROUGH AN INTENSIVE 4 MONTH CURRICULUM, AND GRADUATE 50 STUDENTS EACH YEAR FROM FIVE FEDERAL FACILITIES. THE FIRST COHORT BEGAN IN FALL 2023 AT FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION- WASECA IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. IN THE FALL OF 2023, WE ALSO HELD A CONVENING IN WISCONSIN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE JOHNSON FOUNDATION AT WINGSPREAD, WHERE WE BROUGHT STAKEHOLDERS IN WISCONSIN TOGETHER WITH RESEARCHERS, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, AND EXPERIENCED PRISON DOULAS TO EXPLORE THE CREATION OF A PRISON BIRTH PROJECT THERE. OUR CONVERSATIONS WERE CAPTURED IN A REPORT AND ARE AVAILABLE TO ANYONE INTERESTED.