The Haven’s Doula Program is the first of its kind and The Haven is recognized nationally as an official Doula replication site of the Chicago Health Connection (CHC). The Doula Program pairs pregnant women from The Haven Mother’s House with successful Haven graduates who have given birth and are in recovery. Doulas undergo training in the Chicago Health Connection Community Doula Model and The Harris Doula Child Development Curriculum (ages 0-3). A doula’s relationship with the mother begins as soon as the trained doula is matched with the mother and continues up until the child is 18 months of age. The doula begins regular contact with the pregnant woman; accompanying her to prenatal care visits and helping her develop a birth plan. The doulas also provide a series of sessions focused on education about labor and delivery. The goals for the doula are to develop a trusting relationship with the mother, to help her to advocate for herself in the health care system, to prepare for the hospital labor and delivery experience, and ultimately to prepare for her new role as a parent. When labor begins, the doula is available to the mother, helping her determine if she is actually in labor, and supporting her through labor, delivery and the initial postpartum hours at the hospital. In the immediate postpartum period, the doula reviews the events of labor and delivery, reassures the new mother about her child’s condition, provides breastfeeding support, and facilitates bonding and infant care. During the later postpartum months, the doula continues to visit the mother on a regular basis. She helps provide support and ideas for appropriate developmental play, assists with transportation to medical appointments, links the client to outside resources, and provides recovery support. Extensive research projects are underway regarding the success of the doula program and outcomes for the infant, the mother, and the doula are being collected.