Our mission
To protect the sacred journey of womanhood through culturally rooted, accessible wellness services that support birthing, parenting, healing, and personal transformation, led by women for women.
Our vision
Envisions a future where every woman, across every culture and circumstance, has the opportunity to live well and thrive, where barriers no longer define access to care, and every woman is seen as a whole person, valued for who she is, and supported through every stage of life.
Why Detroit
Infant deaths per 1,000 live births, 2024
In 2024 Detroit recorded 120 infant deaths among 7,456 live births, a rate of 16.1 per 1,000, roughly two and a half times Michigan's statewide rate of 6.3. Across Michigan, Black infants die at a rate near 14 per 1,000 against 4.3 for white infants, a gap that has held for a decade.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics. Detroit data; Michigan data; Michigan infant mortality overview.
Why this model
What the evidence says about doula care.
A 2025 study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology examined 17,831 deliveries at a single institution, 486 of them with doula care. Doula care was associated with more vaginal births after cesarean, fewer preterm births, higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding and better attendance at postpartum visits. The association held across race and insurance status.
| Outcome | Doula care | No doula care |
|---|---|---|
| Vaginal birth after cesarean | 34.4% | 18.8% |
| Preterm birth | 7.2% | 10.8% |
| Exclusive breastfeeding | 44.7% | 37.1% |
| Postpartum visit attendance | 83.1% | 78.2% |
These are findings about doula care, not results reported by WHIN Cares. They describe the model WHIN Cares is built on.
Lemon LS, Quinn B, Young M, Keith H, Ruscetti A, Simhan HN. Quantifying the association between doula care and maternal and neonatal outcomes. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2025, 232(4), 387.e1 to 387.e43. Retrospective cohort, single institution. Read the study.
Services we provide