Scholarship Program for Aspiring Doulas

elizabeth-runs-bath.jpgA limited number of Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula Trainingscholarships are available to qualified candidates interested in serving as volunteer doulas with the Doulas Care Program.Scholarships cover the full cost of training, including the prerequisite classes and the two-part Volunteer Orientation training. You must be available for all dates in the package to be eligible. Scholarships for doula training are provided as a means of ensuring that the Doulas Care Program stays community based. Women who have a passion for working with mothers during the childbearing year are recruited from targeted communities served byDoulas Care. Women who receive scholarships are trained and then engaged as a skilled support person for other women in their community.

In exchange for training, scholarship recipients provide free services for a minimum of five pregnant women or 50 hours of free postpartum care. An effort is made in the recruitment process to attract low-income women seeking career opportunities as well as women who may already be serving informally as untrained doulas to women in their communities. Through the scholarship program we are making more doulas available and ensuring that cost of training will not be a prohibitive factor to anyone who has it in her heart to do this work. The scholarship program offered by Doulas Care in collaboration with The Center for the Childbearing Yearwhich provides the DONA approved Doula training, is grant and donor funded to support our efforts to ensure we can provide a doula to every woman who wants one, regardless of ability to pay.

If awarded a scholarship, you will be asked to sign a contract that summarizes your agreement to provide free doula services to low-income families as outlined below. We ask that all applicants give serious consideration to their ability to follow through on this commitment in a timely manner.

If you have questions about your eligibility for a scholarship or about the application process, you can address all questions to Marylee Scherdt, Director of Doulas Care, 734-332-8070 or email Doulas Care (this email is being protected by spam bots; you will need Javascript enabled to view it).

Applicant Qualifications

For All Candidates:

  • Demonstrate financial need
  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Be a high school graduate (GED acceptable)
  • Be a resident of one of the following counties in southeastern Michigan: Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Lapeer, Genesee, Livingston, Ingham, Jackson, or Monroe (we are in particular need of Doulas in Wayne, Jackson and Genesee counties)
  • Plan to continue to reside in one of the counties listed long enough to fulfill your volunteer commitment as outlined below.
  • Be available for training dates, including orientation dates (see training packages below)
  • Have transportation available
  • Priority will be given to individuals with limited economic resources who live in communities where more volunteer doulas are needed. Bi-lingual and bi-cultural doulas, especially Spanish, Arabic, and French-speaking applicants, are encouraged to apply.

For Birth Doula Applicants:

  • Have demonstrated an interest in working with pregnant women or new mothers and their babies.
  • Commit to participate in the volunteer Doulas Care program and provide free services to five women that includes: three prenatal visits, birth support, and three postpartum home visits. The return services should be completed within two years of finishing the training. Please be aware that this commitment involves being “on-call” 24 hours a day, seven days a week for a period of two weeks before and two weeks after the woman’s due date. Once she births, of course, you are no longer on call, but do need to remain available to provide needed postpartum support services.  Please consider if you have inflexible work hours or an unreliable childcare situation which are incompatible with being “on-call.

For Postpartum Doula Applicants:

  • Have demonstrated an interest in working with new mothers and babies.
  • Commit to participate in the Doulas Care program and provide 50 hours of free postpartum services to low-income families in need. Hours should be completed within one year of finishing the training.

Birth Doula Training Packages & Application Deadlines

Option I

Introduction to Childbirth for Doulas, June 6

Birth Doula Training, June 7 & 8

Volunteer Orientation, Part I, June 12

Volunteer Orientation, Part II, November 15

Application Deadline: May 16

Option II

Introduction to Childbirth for Doulas, August 15

Birth Doula Training, August 16 & 17

Volunteer Orientation, Part I, September 25

Volunteer Orientation, Part II, November 15

Application Deadline: July 25

Option III

Introduction to Childbirth for Doulas, November 7

Birth Doula Training, November 8 & 9

Volunteer Orientation, Part I, To Be Announced for 2009

Volunteer Orientation, Part II, November 15

Application Deadline: October 17

Postpartum Doula Training Packages & Application Deadlines

Option I

Professional Education in Breastfeeding and Lactation, June 21, 2008

Post Partum Doula Training, July 25-27, 2008

Volunteer Orientation I, September 25, 2008

Volunteer Orientation II, November 15, 2008

Application Deadline May 30, 2008

Option II

Professional Education in Breastfeeding & Lactation, November 22

Postpartum Doula Training, December 5–7

Volunteer Orientation, Part I, To Be Announced for 2009

Volunteer Orientation, Part II, To Be Announced for 2009

Application Deadline: November 7

How to Apply

Please click on one of the Scholarship Application links below and fill it out. Your application can be emailed (see above), dropped off at the Center, or mailed to:

Doulas Care
722 Brooks St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103

In order to be considered for a scholarship, applications need to be received by 5pm on the deadline date. You will be notified in writing of your status within one week after the deadline date. If you do not regularly check your email, it is best that you leave the email address on the application blank. If you are turned down for a scholarship, you will have a limited-time opportunity to still register for the desired training at the posted early registration discounted fee. Your notification letter will explain the terms.

Click hereto download the Birth Doula Training Scholarship Application.

Click here to download the Postpartum Doula Training Scholarship Application.

You will need Adobe Acrobat to view the scholarship applications. If you don’t already have Acrobat on your computer you can download it for free from Adobe’s website.

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