County’s Innovative Program Supports Incarcerated Mothers and Their Babies During World Doula Week

 As communities around the world recognize World Doula Week March 22 – March 28, Los Angeles County is highlighting a groundbreaking partnership that brings compassionate doula and lactation support to pregnant people who are incarcerated — strengthening maternal health, infant outcomes, and family bonds during one of life’s most vulnerable moments.

Through a collaboration between LA Health Services’ correctional health services and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, with funding from the Los Angeles Justice Care and Opportunities Department’s or JCOD Care First Community Investment (CFCI), people who are incarcerated, recently released, or at risk of incarceration, now have access to specialized doulas who provide emotional, physical, and educational support throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery.

This is the only program of its kind dedicated to serving justice-impacted families in Los Angeles County. At its heart, the program centers dignity, human connection, and affirms that every parent and every baby deserve a healthy, supported start.

Compassionate Care — Inside and Beyond Custody

A winner of the 2025 California State Association of Counties or CSAC Challenge Awards, the CARE Doula Program provides trauma-informed doulas who support patients through all pregnancy outcomes. A doula is a trained professional who provides emotional, physical, and educational support so the parent feels informed, safe, and cared for. Since the program launched in 2023, 145 clients have been served and 61 births attended.

Services include:

• Prenatal education and birth planning
• Labor and delivery companionship
• Postpartum care for up to one year
• Separation planning and emotional support to prepare families for transitions and preserve parent-infant bonding
• Mental health and social service referrals
• Lactation education and counseling

Doulas, as non-clinical support providers, work in close partnership with clinical teams from LA Health Services’ Correctional Health Services, who provide medical care inside LA County jails.

Together, they ensure patients receive whole-person care that addresses both medical and emotional needs.

A cornerstone of the program is an innovative lactation initiative, developed in collaboration with BreastfeedLA, that allows incarcerated mothers to express breast milk for their newborns — even while separated due to custody status.

Through secure milk collection, storage, and transport, infants can receive the health benefits of breast milk while maintaining a vital biological and emotional connection to their parent.

How to Access Services or Make a Referral

Pregnant individuals who are currently incarcerated at Century Regional Detention Facility — or who have recently been released — may be eligible for doula and lactation services.

To learn more or make a referral:

Email: AAIMMCFCI@ph.lacounty.gov. Please include:

• Name
• Phone number
• Zip code
• Estimated due date
• Custody or release status
• A program representative will follow up directly