I woke to a great email from NACPM of which I am a member of. This organization "Founded in 2000, NACPM ensures a powerful and collective voice for Certified Professional Midwives. NACPM directs its influence toward improving outcomes for childbearing people and their infants, developing and strengthening the profession, and informing public policy with the values inherent in CPM care."
Here was the update:
Congress Takes Action to Grow and Diversify the Midwifery Workforce
Bipartisan legislation, the Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Midwifery Services (MOMS) Act of 2021 , was introduced yesterday in the U.S. Congress in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. NACPM celebrates this historic legislation that would authorize first-ever federal funding specifically to support midwifery education. NACPM worked with Congress on the development of this legislation to grow the number of midwives available to families in the United States and to support the development of a midwifery workforce that reflects and represents the racial and ethnic demographics of the childbearing population.
For decades the federal government has supported the growth and development of health professions such as physicians and nurses.This Act establishes two new funding streams within the Public Health Service Act to support midwifery education and training programs for all nationally-credentialled midwives (CPMs, CNMs, CMs) enrolled in schools accredited by MEAC and ACME . It would appropriate $15,000,000 in Title VII for midwifery programs outside of schools of nursingand $20,000,000 in Title VIII for programs within schools of nursing for fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
This legislation, with a strong focus on equity, calls for prioritizing grants to schools that train students who plan to practice in health professional shortage areas and that demonstrate a focus on increasing racial and ethnic minority representation in midwifery education and the professional.
NACPM applauds and thanks the bipartisan champions in the House and Senate who introduced this Act yesterday: Representatives Katherine Clark (D-MD-5th), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA-40th), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA-3rd), and Ashley Hinson (R-IA-1st), and Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). We are deeply grateful for their support and leadership at a critical moment in time to address the urgent needs of birthing people and their newborns in the U.S. by increasing access to midwives.
“These Congress members have taken a powerful step to support a key component of the workforce needed to address the perinatal care crisis in this country. The Black and Indigenous families who are experiencing inequities and disparities in perinatal health urgently need our investment in the education and training of midwives to serve their communities,” said Tanya Khemet Taiwo, CPM-ret., MPH, PhD, President of NACPM. “The benefits of midwifery are well documented by the data and I am grateful that this bill will support the expansion and diversification of the midwifery workforce.”
This Act will:
Provide direct support to students in an accredited midwifery school or program (50% of awards)
Establish or expand midwifery schools or programs (25% ofawards)
Secure, prepare or provide support for increasing the number of qualified preceptors for training students in accredited midwifery schools or programs (25% ofawards)
“There is growing recognition that expanding the midwifery workforce is a powerful, effective action we can take to improve the health and save the lives of childbearing people in our country,” said Mary Lawlor, CPM, and Executive Director of NACPM. “Given the inequities and disparities experienced by Black and Indigenous birthing people and infants, the true imperative is to grow the numbers of Black and Indigenous midwives and other midwives of color. NACPM is deeply grateful to our Congressional champions for their leadership on the Midwives for MOMS Act of 2021, legislation that will grow and diversify the midwifery workforce in the U.S. for the benefit of all families. We look forward to working together to enact this legislation into law.”
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