Section 655.20  Policies

a)         Content of Projects

1)         Projects shall be directed toward the provision and coordination of services which assist women with problem pregnancies or women at risk of initial or repeat problem pregnancies in accordance with accepted maternal and child health principles.  Such services include:

A)        Prenatal and Post-Partum Health Care

B)        Nutrition Services

C)        Social services, including counseling, financial assistance, legal aid, day care, homemaker services and housing

D)        Employment Counseling and Vocational Services

E)        Education concerning Sexuality and Parenting, both individually and community-wide

F)         Mental Health Services

G)        Special Services to enable pregnant adolescents to remain in school or to continue their education

H)        Residential Care for pregnant adolescents

I)         Outreach and Follow-up to assure that those in need of these services are receiving appropriate assistance.

2)         Projects may also provide:

A)        Technical assistance to enable other communities to develop problem pregnancy prevention programs and problem pregnancy-related services and

B)        Training (but not including institutional training or training assistance provided by consultants) to providers of services, including skills and multidisciplinary approaches to problem pregnancy-related services and in the provision of such services.

b)         Priority Areas

In approving applications for grants for problem pregnancy health services and care projects, priority will be given to applicants who:

1)         Serve an area where there is a high incidence of adolescent and problem pregnancy;

2)         Show evidence of having the ability to bring together a wide range of needed services in comprehensive single site projects or to establish a well integrated network of services in a community including outreach to, and services for, problem pregnancies;

3)         Will use as a base, existing programs and facilities such as neighborhood and primary health care centers, children and youth centers, maternity and infant care centers, designated Regional Perinatal Care facilities, School Education Programs, Mental Health Programs, Nutrition Programs, Recreation Programs, and other ongoing problem pregnancy-related services;

4)         Make use, to the maximum extent feasible, or other federal, state and local funds, programs, contributions, and other third party reimbursements;

5)         Can demonstrate a community commitment to the program by making available to the project nonfederal funds, personnel, and facilities; and

6)         Have involved the community to be served, including public and private agencies, in the planning and implementation of the project.

c)         Population to be Served

1)         Those eligible to receive services through these project funds include women who are pregnant, women who have delivered in the past year, and/or women who are at risk of becoming pregnant, and for whom the pregnancy or parenthood represents or would represent a social, emotional, financial or health problem.  Priority shall be given to adolescents 17 years old and younger.  Adolescent fathers, families of pregnant adolescents, and families of adolescent parents, are eligible to receive counseling services through these projects.

2)         No income eligibility requirements shall be made but grantees shall ensure that priority is given to those persons who are not able to obtain assistance through other means.

d)         Funding

Projects will be funded for up to one year on the basis of the State fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).  Reapplications for continued funding will receive priority consideration in succeeding years based on appropriation of funds by the General Assembly and performance showing progress toward stated goals.

e)         Matching Requirements

A grant may cover not to exceed 70% of the cost of the project in the first and second years.  For purposes of these matching requirements, a funding period of 6 months or more shall constitute the first year of a project.  Projects initially funded for less than 6 months shall provide a minimum of 30% of total project costs in the initial funding period, as well as in the full first and second years of the project.  In the third and each succeeding year, the amount of the state grant shall decrease by at least 10% of the amount of the state grant under this act in the preceding year.