Jacki Apel, Director of Communications , March of Dimes SC Chapter , 803-403-8523, japel@marchofdimes.com

Columbia, South Carolina, August 02, 2012 —

The March of Dimes South Carolina Chapter is accepting applications for 2012 community grants. The March of Dimes has extended the grant deadline from August 20, 2012 to September 14, 2012.  In 2011, the chapter awarded more than $400,000 in community grant funds to organizations in South Carolina to address unmet maternal and child health needs.

The Chapter Community Grants Program is designed to invest in projects that further the March of Dimes mission, support the National Prematurity Campaign objectives and further the strategic goal of reducing disparities in birth outcomes. These grants are one way the March of Dimes pursues its mission of preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

“The South Carolina Chapter believes that we can help mothers and babies through partnerships with organizations whose missions directly align with the March of Dimes,” Amy Nienhuis, volunteer Program Services Chair said.

Projects may focus on consumers and/or health care providers. Priorities for 2012 include:

(1) providing or enhancing premature birth, risk reduction, education and/ or services. Risk reduction projects include, but are not limited to:

·        Providing smoking cessation education and/or services to pregnant women.  Preference should be given to prenatal health education and information/referral services that utilize the "5 A's" counseling approach.  For more information, go to:

www.acog.org/from_home/departments/smoking/smokingslides.ppt

·        Increasing health education and information/referral services available to pregnant women who use alcohol or other drugs.

·        Focusing on premature birth recurrence prevention such as education about “17P” (17α hydroxyprogesterone caproate) treatment for women who have had a previous singleton premature birth.

·        Implementing community programs that aim to promote equity in birth outcomes.  This may include March of Dimes programs like Stork’s Nest^®, Project Alpha and Becoming a Mom/Comenzando bien^®.

·        Increasing pregnant women’s participation in state or local maternal child health programs (e.g. Medicaid, CHIP, WIC) through enhanced outreach, education and public awareness.

·        Enhancing services for pregnant women with chronic diseases that increase the risk of premature birth such as diabetes and hypothyroidism.

 (2) Initiating a quality improvement program related to premature birth prevention with the goal of catalyzing systems change.

Organizations interested in applying can access an online application at marchofdimes.com/southcarolina. Applications are due by 4pm on September 14, 2012. Late applications will not be accepted. For more information, contact the March of Dimes South Carolina Chapter at 803-252-5200.

Each year, the South Carolina Chapter of the March of Dimes invests in mission initiatives statewide, including research grants and local community services. Through these program services, the March of Dimes continues working to prevent birth defects and infant death, reduce South Carolina’s premature birth rate, increase access to prenatal care and educate healthcare providers and women about having healthy babies.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com/southcarolina.  Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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