Regulation And Funding Of Alternative Maternity Care Providers

This report by the foreign law research staff of the Law Library of Congress’s Global Legal Research Directorate includes surveys of the regulation and funding of two types of alternative maternity care providers, midwives and doulas, in ten countries around the world. The jurisdictions covered are Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

All researched jurisdictions regulate the work of midwives, which is not the case when it comes to doula activities. In Brazil legislation is pending in Congress that would also regulate the work of doulas, and states and municipalities have already enacted such laws. Although New Zealand does not regulate the activity, doulas may be required to comply with a code of consumer rights to the extent they provide health services to the public. All other jurisdictions do not regulate doula activities.