Wednesday, January 15, 2025
1/15/2025
Mary’s Center for Maternal & Child Care, Inc. 2333 Ontario Rd NW, Washington, D.C. 20009-2627 Project Director: Fernanda Ruiz, Home Visiting Director Office: 202-483-8196, Fax 202-483-0302 Email: Fruiz@maryscenter.org, Grants@maryscenter.org (please copy both on all notices) Website: www.maryscenter.org Grant Program Fund request: Year 1 (4/1/2024 – 3/31/2025): $1,099,985.02 Year 2 (4/1/2025 – 3/31/2026): $1,099,938.37 Year 3 (4/1/2026 – 3/31/2027): $1,099,972.74 Year 4 (4/1/2027 – 3/31/2028): $1,099,975.66 Year 5 (4/1/2028 – 3/31/2029): $1,099,986.06 Annotation: Mary’s Center proposes to target the Healthy start program to areas of Washington DC most impacted by poor perinatal and infant health outcomes. Through a community health worker framework, we will provide in-home care coordination, maternal health home visiting, and doula services to women and their families residing in Wards 7 and 8 of the District of Columbia. Participants will include pregnant and postpartum women and their infants, women at high risk for poor perinatal and postnatal outcomes, and fathers/male partners of women participating in services. Mary’s Center will also convene a community consortium of local government, healthcare organizations, and non-profit partners with complementary missions to advance the goal of improved maternal and infant health outcomes, especially for non-Hispanic black women in DC Wards 7 and 8. Problem: Sociodemographic characteristics including poverty rate, lack of prenatal care, and smoking, affect maternal and birth outcomes and have been shown to be higher in certain wards of the District of Columbia. Additionally, limited access to early prenatal care disproportionately affects women in Wards 7 and 8. Studies have shown that increased access to pre- and postnatal care, along with education to support healthy parenting practices, can have a significant effect on maternal and infant morbidities in the first 18 months of life. Purpose: To improve coverage, access to care and health education, and overall health outcomes for perinatal women, by promoting quality services for residents of DC Wards 7 and 8. Goal(s) and Objectives: GOAL 1: Improve women’s health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy, including addressing disparities in adverse perinatal health outcomes. GOAL 2: Improve infant health outcomes, including addressing factors and disparities that contribute to adverse infant health outcomes. GOAL 3: Improve overall family health and wellness, including promoting community building, uptake of healthy behaviors, system coordination/integration, health promotion and prevention, and social support services that protect and advance parental and infant/child health and wellbeing. Methodology: Identify need/resources for health insurance coverage Review family planning and provide staff training as necessary Follow up with new mothers regarding scheduling of post-partum appointment Provide assistance as needed to identify/connect with medical providers and doula Send reminders for prenatal appointments Provide education/information on safe sleep, immunizations, breastfeeding, support groups, smoking cessation, and substance abuse Support development of reproductive life plan and birth plan as necessary Use ASQ-3 and ASQSE-2 to screen for delays Use PHQ-9 to screen for perinatal depression and refer to services as necessary Use PCL-5 to screen for trauma and refer to services as necessary Use HITS protocol to screen for IPV and refer to services as necessary Work with fathers to encourage parenting participation Support participation in early literacy programs Provide information about existing community parenting resources Identify partners and convene a Community Consortium to drive advocacy work and policy changes around maternal and infant health outcomes, especially for non-Hispanic black women in DC Wards 7 and 8.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).