Financial Assistance

Congress should expand funding the eligibility criteria for national and state loan repayment programs to include bachelor-level social workers, health and human services providers, and certified drug and alcohol counselors, while also expanding service delivery location sites to include more home, school, and community-based settings.[1]

Congress should pass the Moms Matter Act, which establishes grant programs to address maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders during or after pregnancy, with a focus on racial and ethnic minority groups.[1][2][3]

Congress should utilize tax credits and grant programs to fund new (or existing) newborn intensive care units in all hospitals to provide specialized care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and ensure mothers and their children remain in close proximity with each other after birth.[1]