July 16, 2021
Contact:
Samara Sheff
202-495-8879
Congresswoman Gwen Moore Introduces Legislation to Expand Education and Training for Doulas and Midwifery
Washington, D.C – A bipartisan group of Ways and Means Committee members introduced legislation, The Pathways to Health Careers Act, to expand and improve the Health Professions Opportunity Grant Program (HPOG) to help low-income Americans gain entry into health care professions.
This bill includes the Opportunities to Support Mothers and Deliver Children (OSMDC) Act, which would create a new demonstration project within HPOG to provide low-income people with education and training in doula and midwifery professions. HPOG proposes provisions in education and job training for occupations in the health care field that pay well and are in high demand for Temporary Assistance to Needy Family (TANF) recipients.
“For decades, TANF has stifled opportunities for the most vulnerable to move into family-supporting careers. I came to Congress to reform TANF to ensure poor women and children had the opportunity to climb out of the trenches of poverty. My bill builds on this work by helping TANF recipients access the training and education to become doulas, midwives, and perinatal professionals. When we create a diverse, culturally competent maternal health workforce, we can fight our maternal health crisis, help save lives and create opportunities for those who have been shut out for too long.”
Read more about the legislative package here.
