The ENT Birth Justice: Advocacy in Action Team

At Earth’s Natural Touch: Birth Care & Beyond (ENT), “Birth Justice” is more than a phrase . It is Advocacy in Action. We believe every family deserves dignified, respectful, and equitable support during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. This belief is central to our advocacy work, and it has shaped our leadership within Connecticut’s evolving maternal and infant health landscape.
 

The ENT Birth Justice: Advocacy in Action Team leads Earth’s Natural Touch’s systems-level work to advance equity in maternal and infant health. The ENT Birth Justice: Advocacy in Action Team has taken bold steps toward structural change, and now we’re scaling that impact by reconvening a statewide movement. We have taken the reigns as the convening body for the Doulas4CT® Coalition, which is a collaborative alliance of birth workers, community partners, and advocates committed to improving care systems for families and doulas across Connecticut. As a founding member of the Doulas4CT® Coalition, the team brings together community voices, birth workers, and partners to support policy change, workforce sustainability, and community-centered care across Connecticut

Through early coalition meetings, shared strategy sessions, and community engagement, ENT helped shape the foundation of what would become a formalized statewide effort toward perinatal workforce support and systems change.

Now, as convener of the coalition, the Birth Justice Team provides:

• organizational stewardship and coordination
• advocacy that elevates community priorities
• safe processes for relationship-based collaboration
• alignment with legislative and policy efforts
   

We bring together diverse voices to ensure decisions are not made for communities, but with communities. ENT comes to the people as the people because we are the people. 

This Perinatal Bill of Rights for Black Families serves as a foundational guide that can be used to create an inclusive and respectful environment during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. 

Healthcare providers are encouraged to adopt anti-racist practices, provide patient-centered care, and ensure transparency, competence, and cultural respect. Legislators can utilize these rights to shape legislation addressing healthcare disparities, ensuring equity and promoting anti-racist practices. Community members can build supportive environments prioritizing accessible healthcare and holistic well-being, thereby reducing disparities. Organizations, including healthcare institutions, can adopt these principles to guide practices that foster cultural sensitivity and diversity, and address systemic issues to achieve health equity. 

Lastly, Black Families can refer to this Perinatal Bill of Rights written specifically with them in mind to feel more confident in asserting their autonomy, demanding equitable care, navigating healthcare systems, and safeguarding themselves against unjust practices. Your experiences are real. Your concerns are valid. Your family at Earth’s Natural Touch: Birth Care & Beyond is with you. We see you. We hear you. And we will continue to support, and fight for you.