Project Name: Rural Northern Border Region Network Planning Program (P17)

Applicant Title: The Women of the Mountains Birth Initiative (WOMB Initiative)

Abstract Text: The Women of the Mountains Birth (WOMB) Initiative seeks funding through the Northern Border Regional Commission’s (NBRC) Rural Northern Border Region Network Planning (RNBR-NP) program to address critical maternal health access disparities in northern and rural New Hampshire. This one-year capacity-building project aims to create a sustainable, integrated perinatal support network by implementing two strategic pillars: a Doula Collective Peer Mentorship Network to ensure workforce retention and professional sustainability, and the development of a centralized nonprofit hub to provide essential administrative, billing, and referral infrastructure. By linking community-based birth workers with regional healthcare stakeholders, the initiative seeks to improve maternal health literacy, strengthen care navigation, and reduce barriers to prenatal and postpartum support, ultimately fostering improved health outcomes for rural families.