Alabama received millions of federal dollars to help pregnant women and families with prenatal care and postpartum support.

The Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education received $8.2 million as part of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program.

The program sends trained professionals to help families in all 67 counties of Alabama, free of charge. The professionals help with education, health screenings, evaluating their social support needs, and helping them access local services.

“Bringing home a baby can be stressful,” said Xavier Becerra, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in a press release. “Many new parents face additional challenges such as housing, or income insecurity, which can make the whole situation even more daunting. But we know from decades of research that home visits work – from helping with school readiness and achievement for children to improving health for women.”

In an effort to address the nation’s high rate of maternal mortality, the White House doubled funding for the program after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, the case that granted the constitutional right to abortion.

Alabama has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the nation, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. A Maternal Mortality Review Committee found 24 deaths in 2018 and 2019 in Alabama caused by pregnancy complications.

The state’s infant mortality rate decreased from 2022 to 2021 — from 7.6 deaths to 6.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. But the rate remains higher than the national average of 5.6, according to the most recent CDC statistics.

The home visiting program is available from pregnancy up to kindergarten and “has demonstrated significant benefits, including improved school readiness and achievement of children, improved health for women, increased health insurance coverage, and prevented child injuries, abuse, and neglect,” according to HHS.

The state initially received funding for the program in 2022, but the expansion will allow more families to come off the waitlist.

“We are excited for the opportunities this grant will provide for thousands of families and children across the state,” said Jan Hume, acting secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education.

Families can learn more about how to access the program here.