Access in healthcare means the reasonable ability for people to get needed care to achieve health.
Our Access Initiative provides direct funding, resources, and referrals to families of color in NYC who face barriers to maternal healthcare. Through our trusted network, The Bridge Directory, we connect families to vital services including birth and postpartum doula care, home birth midwifery, and lactation and feeding support.
Why it matters:
New York City continues to face some of the nation’s highest racial disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity. Our Access Initiative ensures that Black and Brown families receive life-saving perinatal and postpartum care—bridging the gap between community need and equitable access to trusted providers.
What we fund:
Birth Doula Services up to $2,000
Postpartum Doula Services fee up to $60/hour
Feeding/Lactation Support $250 per office or virtual visit and $400 per in home visit
Home Birth Midwifery Support up to $4,000
Who qualifies:
The birthing person must identify as Black, Brown, Indigenous, or a person of color to qualify, and live in NYC, Long Island, Westchester, Southern Connecticut, Northern NJ, Putnam County, or Dutchess County, NY.
We are trusting providers on an honor based system to identify a need and inability to pay for support.
Our asks:
Preference will be given to The Bridge Directory providers, who we know and trust.
Please remember that applications take up to 2 weeks to process, and retroactive support is not available.
How to apply:
Ask your provider to complete the referral form on your behalf. If you qualify, we’ll follow up by email with a brief, easy-to-complete questionnaire. From there, you’ll be invited to a short phone interview to complete the process.