What's the CommuniTEA?: The Role of Community Care in Black Maternal Health

Community is an integral part of the health and well-being of individuals. Community care is particularly important for Black birthing people who are and have historically been harmed by institutional systems of care. The purpose of this study is to understand the role(s) of community care for Black birthing people during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

We conducted 12 semistructured interviews (N = 12) with Black women who have given birth in Washington State. We performed a thematic analysis of the interview data using an iterative coding process.

We found community care enables TRIBE (Tangible, Relational/peer, Informational, Birthworker, Emotional) support. In addition, we found that identity plays a key role in how Mothers define community, seek support, and experience joy in motherhood.

Community care creates holistic support networks that address essential needs often neglected by traditional health care systems. The TRIBE framework serves as both a way to understand support and a guide for designing better care systems. It challenges traditional research and clinical ideals by recognizing community, not just clinicians, as vital to maternal health outcomes. Future efforts should prioritize funding, formal partnerships, and service integration that uplift community care models, including expanding Medicaid coverage for doulas and investing in community-based maternal health organizations supporting Black birthing people and families.