NEIDA Mission

Mission Statement
     NorthEastern Illinois Doula Association was founded to promote unity and cooperation throughout the doula community as well as encourage professional and personal growth of its members. By providing a structure for networking, support, education, political action and professional collaboration, NEIDA seeks to foster a positive environment for doulas as professional support providers in the state of Illinois.

Values Statement
     Our work as doulas is based in providing unconditional caring for birthing mothers. Toward that end, it is our goal to be an inclusive organization that strives to serve our membership as best we can, so that our membership may better serve birthing mothers. In order to identify as such an organization, it is imperative that we recognize issues of culture, experience and identity, and commit to maintaining that awareness. This statement is intended to generate excitement, inspiration, and commitment among Members and Leadership, as we strive to achieve our collective goals.
     As a group NEIDA acknowledges and respects difference and diversity. It is a priority for us to agree to listen to and learn from others, and to be aware of and respect differences among us in experiences, feelings, culture, identity, skills and interests. NEIDA acknowledges that people are responsible for their own actions and that we must be aware of and respect the power that we have- individual power, institutional power, and/or social power. We agree to use culturally sensitive strategies in our work. Culturally sensitive strategies acknowledge that everyone is an individual, and at the same time, that individuals are members of multiple cultural communities.
     We, the members of NEIDA, recognize this statement as a means toward more successful labor support. NEIDA recognizes the challenges inherent in the journey toward genuine inclusiveness. In this journey we agree to keep a sense of humor and willingness to share joy.