Song-Brown - Licensed Midwifery Program (CA) Grant

Funder: California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI)

The Song-Brown Licensed Midwifery Program in California aims to enhance healthcare access by funding accredited midwifery training programs. This initiative focuses on graduating midwives who will serve in medically underserved areas and prioritize diversity in enrollment. Grants of up to $500,000 are available to programs that meet specific criteria, including providing training in areas with high Medi-Cal recipient populations, thereby addressing healthcare disparities and fostering community health.

Background and Mission
Pursuant to the Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act (Song-Brown Act), Health & Safety Code Sections 128200, et. seq., the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) will award grants to select Licensed Midwifery (LM) programs that have demonstrated the potential for success in:

• Graduating individuals who practice in medically underserved areas.
• Enrolling members of underrepresented groups in medicine to the program.
• Locating the program’s main training site in a medically underserved area.
• Operating a main training site at which the majority of the patients are Medi-Cal recipients.
• Description of Services

This grant opportunity will result in funding the costs associated with meeting Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) accreditation or Medical Board of California (MBC) approval. Each new Licensed Midwifery training program should incorporate the following when developing their programs:
Establishing procedures to identify, recruit and admit licensed midwifery trainees who possess characteristics which would suggest a predisposition to practice in areas of unmet need, and who express a commitment to serve in areas of unmet need.Implementing counseling and placement programs to encourage training program graduates to enter practice in areas of unmet need.Providing a preceptorship experience in an area of unmet need to enhance the potential of training program graduates to practice in such an area.
Funding
Grant awards are limited to the funds specified in the State Budget Act of 2025. This is a one-time grant opportunity with no implied or expressed guarantee of subsequent funding after the initial contract award resulting from this application.
Up to $500,000 in state funding is available to support new LM training programs obtain MEAC accreditation or MBC approval.