Kentucky advocates seek statewide ‘maternity care overhaul’ with $10 million Healthy Moms grant

Advocates in Kentucky are calling for a broader maternity care “overhaul” and are seeking funding that would help increase access to non-hospital care supports for pregnant people statewide. The proposal centers on a $10 million grant through the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America campaign, which organizers say is intended to strengthen community-based services that can assist families before, during and after birth.

The effort focuses on expanding roles such as doulas and midwives, along with other community care providers. Advocates argue that these supports can help close gaps in care for patients who face barriers to traditional obstetrical services, particularly when access is limited by geography, cost, or availability of providers.

In addition to the statewide grant push, the reporting highlighted existing local activity. Norton Healthcare’s doula program, which has been in place for five years, is cited as an example of an institutional model that advocates hope could be expanded to reach more families across the state.

Organizers said the Kentucky initiative is designed to build a more connected network between clinical and community-based maternity supports. The proposal also contemplates using grant resources to grow provider capacity and to support the infrastructure needed to sustain those services beyond a short pilot period.

Because the funding comes through a national campaign, the timeline for how Kentucky programs would be selected and implemented would depend on grant application and award steps administered by the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America program. Advocates are pressing for the state’s participation to ensure that community-based maternity services are included in the next phase of grant-making.

The grant effort arrives as Kentucky health leaders and providers continue to assess how maternity care can be delivered more consistently across different regions. Advocates involved in the initiative said the practical goal is to ensure more families can access trained maternity support services, rather than relying solely on availability inside large hospital systems.

While the details of eligibility and funding distribution were not fully laid out in the reported summary, advocates said the overarching plan is to use the requested $10 million to strengthen community access to doula and midwifery services and other local supports, with an emphasis on scaling what has already shown promise in Kentucky settings.