March of Dimes community grants are generally intended as start up or seed money to stimulate the institutionalization of a prevention activity that benefits mothers and babies. Funding priorities for 2005 include increasing availability of services related to prematurity, improving access to and quality of health care for women and children and increasing availability of prevention services.

Informed High Risk Clients Produce Improved Perinatal Outcomes: $12,000

Benton Franklin Health District  Many of the health district's clients lack the education needed for a healthy pregnancy and the resources to access the quality educational audiovisual programs that are now available. Funds are used to purchase laptops and an educational DVD series, which covers birth and the first few months of life.  The public health nurses use these tools to more effectively convey important messages in home and clinic visits.

Tobacco Cessation Classes and Folic Acid
Education / Supplies: $5,000

Klickitat County Health Department  The health department will offer four 8-week smoking cessation classes (2 in Goldendale and 2 in White Salmon) targeting pregnant women and women of childbearing age.  The goal is to reduce premature birth and other negative outcomes associated with smoking during pregnancy.  Additionally, folic acid will be dispensed one time to all women of childbearing age who are unable to purchase multivitamins and utilize services through the smoking cessation classes or the Klickitat County Department of Health.  Education on the benefits of Folic Acid will accompany the vitamins so women are inclined to continue use after the free supply runs out.

Childbirth Education Outreach Program: $10,000

Sunnyside Community Hospital  Sunnyside Community Hospital is located in an area of Washington with a large Hispanic population.  The project will increase access to childbirth education for Hispanic, monolingual Spanish mothers and improve the quality of care provided to all Hispanic families served by the Hospital.  The hospital will provide childbirth education / doula training to 6 bilingual women and offer childbirth education classes in Spanish at least bi-monthly.

Informed Mothers for Healthy Babies: $20,173

Refugee Women's Alliance  This project utilizes an existing English as a Second Language program to help spread the word about healthy pregnancies.  The target audience includes refugee and immigrant women and those who were victims of genital mutilation or rape at a young age during war.  The desired outcome is to increase awareness of culturally and linguistically appropriate services for birth defects, maternal and prenatal care and infant mortality.  Other subjects to be highlighted include nutrition, prematurity and low birthweight.  Education will be done in groups and one-on-one, and will be culturally relevant to the participants.

Genetics Program: $6,000

Whatcom County Health Department  In collaboration with Children's Hospital the health department has provided genetic services to local families for years.  The March of Dimes grant enables them to continue these services at the desired level, despite funding cuts.  It is valuable to families and staff to have a genetic service center locally as a way of eliminating transportation and financial barriers.  Coordination of specialty and primary care services within the community are improved significantly; collaboration is crucial in developing cost effective components of pediatric specialty care.  Pediatricians benefit from access to genetic services.

Treatment, Education and Resources for Mothers (TERM): $25,000

Spokane Regional Health District Oral Health  TERM will continue to decrease the impact of periodontal disease on preterm birth and low birthweight among pregnant women in the First Steps program.  Studies have shown that periodontal disease may trigger preterm birth as well as pre-eclampsia.  With treatment, these risks can be reduced.  Poor dental hygiene is more prevalent among low-income women who lack access to dental care even if they are on Medicaid.  Low-income pregnant women in the First Steps program will have their gums screened at the Health District.  If they are determined to be at risk of periodontal disease, they will be referred to their dentist, a local dentist accepting new Medicaid patients or to the Eastern Washington University Department of Dental Hygiene.  All women in the First Steps program will receive educational messages on the importance of oral health and its link to pregnancy and prematurity.  These women and their partners will receive oral health supplies to help improve their hygiene at home.

Folic Acid Education and Supplementation for Women of Childbearing Years: $18,307

Spokane Regional Health District WIC Program  Spokane Regional Health District WIC offices will distribute folic acid information and supplements to non-pregnant women of childbearing age that visit their offices, in order to decrease the incidence of birth defects of the brain and spine.  An educational pamphlet will be distributed, along with a 90-day supply of multivitamins with the RDA of folic acid.  The goal is to reach approximately 5000 non-pregnant women.

Just For You: $5,500

Okanogan Family Planning  Okanogan Family Planning will hold a one-day event on 9/30/05 for pregnant and parenting women.  The goal of this event is to increase the women's skills, resources and self-esteem and enable them to have healthier, happier pregnancies and parenting experiences.  The target audience includes impoverished, young women who have do not have good role models, are still in high school and are in unsafe and unhealthy relationships.  This event will be similar to one held in 2000, which received rave reviews from attendees. This is a collaborative effort of several local organizations.

First Step Outreach Project: $16,000

First Step Family Support Center  This project is working to increase the number of women, specifically teens and Native Americans, getting MSS and ICM services.  They will reach teens through contact with Alternative Schools and other places teens congregate.  First Step will convey information to teens about STD's and birth control.  Native American women will be approached using culturally relevant material.  In addition, First Steps will increase access to NA/AA meetings for women of childbearing age in recovery, and include childcare for these meetings.  First Step will increase access to substance abuse treatment for incarcerated women.  Outreach and support services will be provided to impoverished women and those in preterm labor.

Folic Acid Outreach: $750

Mission Community Outreach Center  Mission Community Outreach Center will provide free multivitamins with folic acid and folic acid education to the low-income women of childbearing age that use the Center’s other services.  They partner with a local nursing college to provide additional education in addition to the continued supply of folic acid.