Federal Funding Basics
for Community-Based Doula Programs
FY10 HRSA Funding for The Community-based Doula Program
The Healthy Start and Perinatal Services Division in the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of HRSA/U.S. Department of Health & Human Services released a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) in June 2010, to solicit applications for the Community-based Doula Program grant program. Through a competitive grant application process, funds will be distributed over three years to three rural and three urban programs, as well as a one technical assistance grant for the running of the Community-based Doula Leadership Institute. Link here to view the full announcement. Applications were due July 1, 2010.
Health Care Reform - HR3590: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Please link here for a summary of Health Reform's impact on community-based doula programs.
HRSA Special Project for National and Regional Significance (SPRANS) Funding
The very first federal funding stream dedicated to community-based doula programs was established on December 26, 2007, when President Bush signed the 2008 omnibus appropriations bill in to law. This funding stream was established after years of tireless advocacy by HC One's National Doula Advocacy Network. HC One would also like to extend sincere thanks to Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) for their support of community-based doula programs, and to President Barack Obama, who demonstrated his support of the community-based doula model during his time as the junior Senator of Illinois.
In the first year, doula programs were able to apply for the $1.536 million of federal money via a competitive grants process through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). HRSA awarded HealthConnect One a 2-year grant to provide training, technical assistance, and cross-sited evaluation to a cohort of six HRSA-funded community-based doula programs across the country. All six grantees and HC One received a second year of funding through September 30, 2010.
Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA)
This act, signed into law by President Obama on February 4, 2009, includes $80 Million over 5 years for Outreach and Enrollment activities related to the state children's health insurance programs. Community-based doula programs and Community Health Worker programs were specifically named in the legislation as entities that are eligible to apply for outreach and enrollment monies through the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
HealthConnect One submitted an application in coalition with eleven community-based doula sites across the country on August 6, 2009. HC One did not receive the grant, yet we made a great collective effort and we thank all of you who participated! We will continue to look for opportunities to apply for CHIPRA funding in the future.
For a synopsis of this legislation, link here. To view the full language of the bill, link here.
Grants Notifier email sign-up instructions
You can keep up with all of the federal information on health reform initiatives and funding. The following instructions outline how HC One has signed up for email tracking of federal grant opportunities for community-based doulas. You can do the same.
1. Under “For Applicants,” in blue box on far right side on grants.gov homepage, click on “Grant Email Alerts” link.
2. Click on “Notices Based on Advanced Criteria” link (fourth option in list).
3. Enter your email address
4. Under “Category of Funding Activity,” choose Health
5. Under “Funding Instrument Type,” choose grant
6. Under “Eligible Applicants” select the description that best applies to your organization, or choose “All eligibility types.”
7. Under “Agency” choose Department of Health and Human Services, or the agency that you are interested in tracking.
8. Next to the Agency list, there is a “Select Sub Agencies” button. If you want to track a specific sub agency, click this button and choose the sub agency you want. (HC One tracks Health Resources and Services Administration).
9. Click “Subscribe to Mailing List”
Healthcare.gov (Formerly healthreform.gov)
1. Click on the Email Updates link on the top right corner of the homepage.
2. Enter and confirm your email address.
3. Choose your email delivery preference.
4. Choose the type of updates you receive—HealthCare Notes and/or HealthCare.gov News Releases (HC one receives News Releases).
5. Choose the updates that best apply to you (HC One tracks updates that apply to Families with Children)
6. Click save.
