Cumberland County is requesting proposals from agencies for birth doula services that will help health outcomes for pregnant persons and address ongoing disparities.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Cumberland County is seeking proposals from agencies for birth doula services that will improve health outcomes for pregnant residents and address ongoing disparities among infant and maternal mortality rates.
Birth doulas are trained to provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to birthing women and their partners to help them achieve the healthiest, most satisfying birth experience possible. Research suggests doulas positively impact maternal and infant health outcomes and the overall birth experience.
The County is soliciting proposals from interested parties through a formal competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The purpose of this RFP is to fund two eligible organizations up to $75,000 each to provide birth doula services to uninsured or underinsured individuals within the county. The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners included funding for this new initiative in the County’s FY 2025 budget.
“The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners realizes that there is a maternal health crisis in our community due to a lack of OB/GYN doctors locally,” said Glenn Adams, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners. “We believe this pilot program to add doulas as a resource for Cumberland County residents will be a game changer that will lead to improved health outcomes for our mothers and their children.”
Organizations interested in submitting a proposal should go to cumberlandcountync.gov/bids and click on “Bid Opportunities” to find the RFP. The RFP number is 25-9-PH Doulas Services.
Proposals are due Monday, Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. and any questions must be submitted per the instructions in the RFP by Friday, Sept. 6 at 2 p.m. The County will hold virtual information workshops Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. and Sept. 3 at 3:30 p.m. for interested agencies and organizations. A copy of the information slides will be made available upon request for anyone unable to attend the virtual workshops. To register for either webinar, go to https://cumberlandcountync.webex.com/webappng/sites/cumberlandcountync/webinar/webinarSeries/register/5e60e14a891843609a9c73baa42e78eb.
Proposals will be accepted from nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, hospital systems, and private health care providers, Federal Qualified Health Centers, and other community-based organizations.
Funded projects must:
- Serve the residents of Cumberland County. Funding cannot be used to serve residents in other counties.
- Agencies must have at least at least three years of experience providing doula services
- Hire or contract with two birth doulas certified by a DONA International accredited/affiliated* organization.
- Utilize evidence-based practices
- Complete at least one training on focused on health equity, health disparities, or social determinants of health to support individual competencies and organizational capacity to promote health equity.
- Provide continuous labor support to at least 30 clients annually
- Initiate and maintain contact with doula clients as follows: at least 3 visits during pregnancy; within 2 days after birth; and within 6 weeks after birth.
- Provide back-up coverage to the second doula contracted or hired with the program to ensure that all clients have continuous labor support.
- A representative of the funded agency must attend monthly Perinatal Taskforce meetings held the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m. at the Health Department
- Collect and submit data at several intervals before, during and after birth, and participate in all coordinated meetings with other funded agencies
- Provide performance reporting regarding use of funds and project impact on a quarterly basis
All questions regarding the RFP should be referred to Purchasing Manager Sophia Murnahan at cumberlandpurchasing@cumberlandcountync.gov or call 910-678-7743. For more information, call 910-433-3707 or visit cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/public-health.