Member

Login to your account, make a payment, see benefits and more.

Members

Manage Your Plan

Helpful Tools

Wellcare By Fidelis Care

Members
Providers

Login to your account, download forms, view auth grids and more.

Providers

Provider Resources

About Our Plans

Helpful Tools

Providers
Shop For a Plan

See plan benefits, coverage areas, get a quote and more.

Shop for a Plan

Our Plans

Helpful Tools

Wellcare By Fidelis Care

Shop for a Plan
AAA
HomeAbout usMaternal Health Grants

Supporting Maternal Health Equity

Access to maternal healthcare helps ensure safe pregnancies and healthy babies. Expectant mothers need regular checkups and a healthy lifestyle to prevent potential problems and have a healthy pregnancy.

Fidelis Care is dedicated to helping improve maternal health outcomes in New York State and ensuring there is equitable access to services for pregnant and new mothers.

As part of our goals in 2024, Fidelis Care strives to:

  •  Increase postpartum visits, especially in Black populations
  •  Decrease c-section rates, especially for Blacks and Hispanics
  •  Decrease preterm births in Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations

 Fidelis Care works with providers and community partners to address maternal health issues through education, outreach, and community events.

Maternal Health Grant Program

To focus our maternal health efforts, Fidelis Care gave $158,000 to nine not-for-profit groups across New York State that focus on helping moms stay healthy. These grants support the work of these groups to ensure healthy pregnancies. This is especially important for women with lower incomes who might not get as much help otherwise.

 A March of Dimes 2022 data report  shows that one in nine babies born in New York State was born early, and one in 11 babies was of low birthweight. The premature birth rate among Black women in New York is 58% higher than the rate among all other women.

The nine Fidelis Care maternal health grant recipients are:

Life of Hope, Brooklyn

Life of Hope in Brooklyn is a nonprofit organization that provides health and wellness offerings to young people and immigrants, including a hub for pregnant women and those who recently had babies. The Fidelis Care grant allows Life of Hope to provide an extra layer of targeted support to mothers with high-risk medical conditions.

Erie Niagara Area Health Education Center, Erie and Niagara Counties 

The Erie Niagara AHEC empowers solutions to achieve healthcare equity in the community. The nonprofit organization offers programs for high school and college pathways, maternal health, and continuing and community education. The Birth Equity Project combats maternal health disparities seen in Black and Brown mothers in Erie and Niagara counties. The Birth Equity Project supports mothers by connecting them to a doula, providing educational classes, and care navigation support. These wraparound services target the social determinants of health impacting new mothers.

Mom Starts Here, Rensselaer County

Mom Starts Here works with Capital Region families throughout their parenting journey. The Maternal Health Program supports expectant parents by providing education to address social needs. The program, started in 2023, places community health workers in healthcare offices to address social determinants of health barriers to prenatal and postpartum care such as transportation issues and childcare needs. These efforts help improve outcomes for mothers and their babies.

MOMMAS House, Nassau County

MOMMAS House in Nassau County is a residential program for young, homeless, pregnant or parenting women ages 18 to 24 and their babies. The organization is using the Fidelis Care grant for maternal and child health programs that includes workshops and educational materials on prenatal care, childbirth, breastfeeding, newborn care, parenting, maternal mental health, and other related topics.


Healthy Baby Network, Monroe County

Healthy Baby Network of Rochester’s primary goal is to ensure that every parent in the community has the information and support needed to bring a healthy baby into a nurturing home. The organization is using the Fidelis Care grant to provide pregnancy-related education, support, and partnership that vulnerable parents in the community need to pursue and achieve better health for themselves and their babies. In collaboration with community partners, the grant also helps provide diapers, wipes, car seats, strollers, workshops, and other resources to Healthy Baby Network clients.

Oswego County Opportunities, Oswego County

Funds from the Fidelis Care Maternal Health Program support the Oswego County Opportunities OPTIONS program. This program has provided services to Oswego County mothers and their children for over 35 years. OPTIONS serves about 120 people who enter the program pregnant or shortly after giving birth, through ongoing care management services or short-term crisis intervention.

Project Stork, Orleans and Genesee Counties

Project Stork is a community-based nonprofit organization supporting the maternal mental health and wellness of mothers of infants and toddlers. This support is provided by three program aides trained in maternal mental health from Postpartum Support International. Through this work, mothers complete screenings and connect with outside referrals as needed. Participants also get behavioral health support and monthly supplemental benefits.
Read about their latest World Breastfeeding Week event.

Project-Stork-3

Maternal Infant Services Network of Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties

Since it started in 1989, MISN has helped pregnant women and new moms in the Mid-Hudson region. It works to make sure that all families get the support they need, especially those who may face challenges. The grant from Fidelis Care is helping the Perinatal and Infant Community Health Collaborative and the Healthy Families New York home visiting program. These initiatives provide parenting training certification for MISN employees and offer mental health support to new and expectant mothers. Community baby showers also offer needed supplies to new parents.


MiSN2

North Country Prenatal/Perinatal Council, Jefferson County

The North Country Prenatal/Perinatal Council works hard to make sure moms and families stay healthy. They team up with the community to find out what services are needed and help mothers and families get the care they need. The Fidelis Care grant supports moms, babies, and families in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence Counties who may not have easy access to healthcare. This grant helps provide important supplies to moms who need extra help to have healthy pregnancies and deliveries.

NCPPC-logo

The Fidelis Care maternal health grant applications were open to not-for-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status in New York State.