Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has received $649,998 to improve the health of Maine’s mothers and children.  This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Maternal and Child Health Services Program and will support efforts to lower maternal mortality, reduce infant mortality, and enhance the delivery of maternal care.

“Maine families deserve access to quality, regular care and a variety of specialized treatment options for mothers and children,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement.  “We welcome this funding, which will support a range of programs that care for the evolving health needs of Maine women and children, providing families with every opportunity to succeed from the start.”

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services serves approximately one-third of the people of Maine, providing health care and social service support to children, families, the elderly, the disabled, people with mental illness or substance use disorders, and those living below the poverty level.  

Senator Collins is the lead cosponsor of the Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act, a bipartisan bill to provide funding for new community partnerships to address the high rate of maternal and infant mortality. Senator King has cosponsored the Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services (Rural MOMS) Act, a bipartisan bill that would improve data collection, expand services, and award funding to help ensure that new and expecting moms living in rural communities get the care they need. The United States has the worst rate of maternal deaths in the developed world and one of the highest rates of infant mortality.