Health & Medicine announces an exciting collaboration that marks a transformative step forward for reproductive justice in Illinois.

Health & Medicine Policy Research Group is joining forces with the Black Midwifery Collective and researchers from Northwestern University to create Illinois’ first-ever Community-Based Birth Justice Strategic Plan. This 12-month project will bring together thought leaders in the birth and reproductive justice space to address perinatal health disparities and elevate the voices of community-based perinatal workers.  This work aligns with the Health & Medicine effort to develop a strategic plan for expanding a sustainable Freestanding Birth Center system in Illinois, and our work conducting a landscape analysis of doulas in Illinois.

This groundbreaking initiative centers the priorities and experiences of those who provide vital perinatal care in our communities, including birth center and homebirth midwives, doulas, home visitors, community health workers, mental health specialists, care providers for people who use or misuse substances, and reproductive healthcare providers.

“Right now, we have hundreds of perinatal birth workers across the state who don’t have enough resources or support to keep themselves and their patients healthy, which contributes to some of the glaring maternal health inequities we see in Illinois,” says Anna Yankelev, Director of Strategic Workforce Initiatives at Health & Medicine.

Illinois already has a strong and vibrant birth justice movement, supported by dedicated advocates and policymakers who recognize that community-based care can improve outcomes and address health disparities. However, the lack of a unified, statewide strategic plan has created gaps in funding, programming, and collaboration.

This initiative will address those gaps by building a shared vision and agenda, guided by the expertise of community-based professionals, organizations, and the people they serve. Together, Health & Medicine, alongside The Black Midwifery Collective and Northwestern University, aim to tackle the state’s most pressing perinatal workforce challenges, particularly in communities experiencing the highest rates of maternal mortality and morbidity.

This work builds on the growing momentum for birth justice and reproductive health in Illinois, laying the foundation to collectively influence policy and funding decisions with state entities like Medicaid, managed care organizations (MCOs), legislators, and funders.

“We are excited to build a plan that will help grow and sustain this workforce, equipping perinatal birth workers and the communities they serve to flourish for years to come,” says Yankelev, “and we look forward to sharing updates as we advance birth justice across Illinois.”