.png)
Programs
You don't become a competent birth assistant overnight. Proficiency takes time, and clinical precision requires a plan.
Through our proven curriculum, structured skill development, and professional accountability, you will build the solid clinical competence and baseline proficiency required to excel from day one.
Black Sisters Birth Academy® equips experienced Black birth doulas with out-of-hospital birth experience and practicing birth assistants with the clinical precision and professional confidence required to serve as a certified birth assistant to community midwives. Whether through our online or hybrid programs, you are provided with our structured curriculum to support your professional transition and guide you through your core clinical training requirements in six months or less.
Many of my students choose this academy because they are seeking a nurturing environment to cultivate their skills alongside like-minded women who share their similar lived experiences. Our training takes the guesswork out of your transition, providing a distinct professional advantage and preparing you to graduate as an in-demand birth assistant ready for employment.
Black Sisters Birth Academy® Online Birth Assistant Program
Take Your Place at The Bedside With The Clinical Skills to Match Your Heart for Birth.
You feel it—the steady pull toward the clinical side of the birth room, and now you’re ready to do more. Community midwives are looking for more than just a pair of hands; they need skilled, reliable partners who can anticipate their next move. Our online program is the bridge between labor support and clinical precision, intentionally designed for high-level independent self-starters.
-
Structured Self-Paced Curriculum: Start immediately and move through our comprehensive, step-by-step clinical modules as they unlock each week, with no waiting for annual cohorts.
-
Clinical Infrastructure & Integration: We provide the structured framework, interview guides, and clinical portfolios needed to confidently secure your hands-on clinical experience with a community midwife of your choice.
-
6-Month Completion Window: Designed specifically for active birth workers, this program timeline provides the structure you need to stay focused while assisting you as you maintain your active birth work.
-
Advanced Skills Verification: We guide you through the process of completing your external certifications—including CPR, NRP, and Phlebotomy/IV insertion—while providing integrated academy training and certification in OSHA, Bloodborne Pathogens, and HIPAA.
Strategic Career Connections
Upon successful completion, you will graduate under our official Seal of Clinical Readiness and gain exclusive placement in our birth assistant directory, connecting you with hiring community midwives and new career opportunities.
Your hands are ready. The birth room is waiting. Let's get you certified.
To Qualify For The Online Program, You must meet one of the following criteria:
Who This Program Is For:
The online program is for those who are ready for an advanced level of clinical responsibility to serve as a birth assistant. It is designed for:
-
Experienced Birth Doulas: Working professionals with out-of-hospital birth experience who are ready to transition into clinical birth assisting.
-
Practicing Birth Assistants: Active assistants currently working in the field or navigating a practice transition, who are seeking structured education to replace on-the-job guesswork.
Black Sisters Birth Academy® Hybrid Birth Assistant Program
To Qualify For The Hybrid Program, You must meet one of the following criteria:
Who This Program Is For:
The hybrid program provides a comprehensive curriculum that includes clinical mentorship and in-person, hands-on skills training to earn your certification as a birth assistant. It is designed for:
-
Experienced Birth Doulas: Working professionals with out-of-hospital birth experience who are ready to transition into clinical birth assisting.
-
Practicing Birth Assistants: Active assistants currently working in the field or navigating a practice transition, who are seeking structured education to replace on-the-job guesswork.
From Calling to Career: Launch Your Birth Assistant Path with Confidence and Clinical Precision.
Begin your journey with the clinical support and vital hands-on experience you need to launch your birth assistant career. Our hybrid program provides the best of both worlds: the flexibility of our comprehensive online curriculum combined with essential in-person clinical skills training. This balanced approach is designed to help you build the practical skills and muscle memory needed to succeed at the community midwife's bedside.
The Hybrid Birth Assistant Program Advantage:
This blended learning program option is the hands-on clinical bridge you need for a confident launch:
-
In-Person Hands-On Training: Held in Central Florida, this 2-day intensive provides 18 hours of clinical skills validation for an out-of-hospital birth career.
-
Weekly Clinical Support: Gain access to weekly, live virtual clinical office hours within our private Thinkific student community to recieve real-time clinical guidance alongside your peers.
-
Personalized 1:1 Clinical Feedback: Receive direct, individual evaluations from the Academy Director on all submitted assignments and clinical paperwork to audit your clinical precision and safety before certification.
Structured for Success:
This program is designed to confidently prepare you for certification and a successful launch into your new profession. It is structured to align with the standard entry criteria of community homebirth practices and freestanding birth centers, providing the guidance necessary to assist your community midwife in a way she will notice and value.
The Journey to Community Birth Assisting Starts Here.
Applications for the Hybrid Program are currently closed. The next cohort begins in January. In the meantime, I invite you to identify your clinical pathway and find the program that aligns with your preferred learning style.
After your quiz, you’ll be prompted to sign up for notifications regarding our next annual January cohort enrollment window.
HEAR WHAT MY PHENOMENAL
GRADUATE STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY
Quanjeana Simmons
The experience at Black Sisters Birth Academy was awesome. It empowered me to do what I needed to do. I learned so much and with that said, I am now on my way. I am a midwife's assistant already with the lady I trained with.
Jamilla Adams
In Black Sisters Birth Academy® I was able to learn lots of skills like phlebotomy, charting and get a look at what it looks like to go to a home birth. I was able to get a job as a birth assistant.
Monica Bentley
This program is a phenomenal program, specifically if you are trying to balance work-life with the program. The clinical aspect gives you a hands-on practical experience with preceptors, midwives to give you an out-of-hospital experience.
HEAR WHAT MY PHENOMENAL
GRADUATE STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY
Wanda Harvey Evans
I gleaned a lot from her so much that looking for a preceptor or mentor or midwife I was able to be a birth assistant actually for two midwives.
Keyah Haywood
I definitely felt like I stumbled upon a gem. We learned a lot of hands-on training and we had genuine help throughout the process. I add value to a birth team especially to my midwife. The result is that I am able to work with a few midwives opposed to just one.
Natalie Harrow
A 10 out of 10. The learn at your own pace schedule is just great for moms with busy schedules. I am glad to be a midwife assistant; first in Canada it seems and I can't wait to see the expansion of the midwife assistant sector.
AFTER OUR CERTIFICATION, YOU CAN...
-
Seek Employment: Work as a certified birth assistant alongside community midwives as permitted by state law.
Under their clinical supervision, you can:
-
Check maternal, fetal and neonatal vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and heart rates).
-
Assist with medical documentation and clinical charting.
-
Set up birth-related equipment and maintain sterile fields.
-
Perform venipuncture and IV insertion (as delegated by the provider).
-
Administer injectable medications (as delegated by a provider with prescriptive authority).
-
Provide assistance during obstetrical emergencies (e.g., postpartum hemorrhage or shoulder dystocia).
-
Assist with suturing and essential breastfeeding/postpartum duties.
Academy Prerequisites
To maintain our academy standards and protect the safety of community birth spaces, all applicants must meet our admissions criteria prior to submitting an application. These prerequisites verify that every student crossing the bridge is prepared for the clinical precision required at the community midwife’s bedside.
I. General Requirements (All Applicants Must Meet All Criteria)
-
Identity & Age: Must be a Black woman, 18 years or older.
-
Education: High School Diploma, GED, or higher.
-
Physical Readiness: The work of a birth assistant is active and hands-on. Students must have the physical stamina required to safely support birthing families throughout active labor and the immediate postpartum period.
II. Clinical Pathways (Must Meet One)
Path A: The Experienced Birth Doula
-
Must provide proof of a valid birth or full-spectrum doula certification.
-
Must provide a professional business website or a social media business link.
-
Must provide documented proof of 3 out-of-hospital birth experiences (home birth or freestanding birth center) completed within the last 24 months.
No formal documented proof yet? [CLICK HERE to download our Out-of-Hospital Birth Observation Record Form] to document your attendance.
Path B: The Practicing Birth Assistant
Must be actively working alongside a community midwife, a freestanding birth center, or currently navigating a practice transition. Your required documentation depends on your current employment status:
-
Active Birth Assistants: Must provide a current employment verification letter from your supervising community midwife or freestanding birth center director.
-
Transitioning Birth Assistants: Must provide a midwife reference letter from a previous supervising community midwife, plus documented proof of 3 out-of-hospital birth experiences completed within the last 24 months.
No formal documented proof yet? [CLICK HERE to download our Out-of-Hospital Birth Observation Record Form] to document your attendance.
A Note on Bandwidth and Capacity: Both our online and hybrid programs require dedicated time for the online didactic curriculum and an active, on-call lifestyle to accomodate the unpredictable nature of the clinical phase. To support your clinical safety and student success, we strongly advise all applicants to thoroughly evaluate their current personal and professional bandwidth before applying.
Unsure if your experience is a perfect fit?
To maintain our academy standards, please review our Clinical Readiness FAQs before beginning our admissions process to find the clarity you need.
Admissions Process
Step 1: Pathway Assessment
Complete our 2-minute Birth Assistant Readiness Quiz to identify your clinical pathway and find the program that aligns with your preferred learning style.
Step 2: Application Submission
Submit your online application and required prerequisite documentation for our admissions review.
Step 3: Interview & Admissions Decision
Qualified hybrid applicants will
be invited to schedule a virtual admissions interview. Online applicants will receive an admissions decision within 24 to 48 business hours.
Step 4: Enrollment & Access
Once accepted, complete your tuition payment to secure your placement and receive immediate program access.
