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State expands Choosing Childbirth program, awards grants to address maternity deserts and support pregnant Oklahomans
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Summary
Oklahoma Health Department and partner agencies announced a major expansion of the Choosing Childbirth program and related initiatives including Pregnancy Resource Navigators. New awards aim to expand services in maternity deserts and fund community supports up to the child’s first year.
State health and family‑services officials described an expansion of programs intended to help pregnant people and families carry pregnancies to term and access postpartum supports.
Jamie Ladoux, chief of innovation at the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH)‑partner agency, presented a summary of recommendations from the governor’s Helping Every Life and Parents (HELP) Task Force and described how those recommendations inform work under the Choosing Childbirth Act. She said the task force recommended five broad priorities — preventing entry to the child‑welfare system, improving family engagement, juvenile‑court reforms, strengthening foster‑parent supports and expanding capacity of professionals who serve families — and also recommended next‑phase focus areas such as substance‑use services, poverty and permanency for teens and children with complex needs.
Ladoux said OSDH launched an Oklahoma Life website (oklahoma.gov/life) to connect families and service providers with resources, and that the department has stood up Pregnancy Resource Navigators (PRNs), a community‑health‑worker model focused on pregnancy through an infant’s first year. PRNs are intended to connect families with services, help navigate paperwork and coordinate transportation and referrals.
On funding, staff described changes to the Choosing Childbirth Act, first enacted in 2017 (House Bill 1703), which initially appropriated funds to support pregnant people through their child’s first year. Last year the program was expanded and an additional $15 million was awarded through a Notice of Funding Opportunity; OCCY/OSDH staff presented a list of 13 awardees, including three grant‑supervising entities that will channel funding to local services across the state. Officials said this round prioritized infrastructure to address maternity deserts, match community needs (for example transportation or home‑visiting supports) and create a coordinated statewide network.
Speakers noted that the program also supports other work called for by the HELP Task Force, such as expanding school‑based service workers and adding hope‑centered language to individualized service plans. Commission members asked for timelines and implementation details. OSDH staff said pilots are underway for practice changes and agreed to provide follow‑up details on statewide rollout timelines.
The program update also included a broader legislative summary from OCCY staff. Commissioners and staff noted a pending bill to codify database language for MDTs and other bills under consideration in the legislature that could affect the commission’s role in MDT oversight.
