The Choosing Childbirth Act (CCB) is a fund established by the legislature in 2017 to provide grants for maternal and infant health programs. As the name implies, the fund was created to support programs for pregnant women who choose childbirth over abortion. Due to 2024 reforms, the CCB has been reestablished as a reimbursing grant for any qualifying nonprofit to apply.

The CCB was created in 2017 to support maternal and infant health programs. The fund grew to $8 million by 2023 but was largely unused. During this time, the fund was managed exclusively by the Oklahoma Pregnancy Center Network (OPCN), a consortium of crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs).

In 2024, two reform measures were passed to unlock the CCB, along with a new $18 million allocation.

• • SB 538 changed the CCB fund manager to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), allowing them to release grants directly to nonprofits without OPCN’s input.
  • SB 1135 restructured the fund, now holding the $18 million allocation from 2024.

The CCB statute outlines three requirements for applicants:

• • Registered nonprofit (501c3), including faith-based organizations, individual organizations, and grant managers.
  • Does not provide abortion counseling.
  • Does not receive funds from an organization that provides abortion counseling.

CCB funding is not restricted to crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). At the legislature’s request, the agency has allocated $5 million specifically for organizations following that business model.

OSDH has emphasized that they are seeking evidence-based maternal and infant health programs. 

Examples provided by OSDH (below) are interpretations of the CCB statute and do not constitute an exhaustive list (CCB Homepage).

• • Medical care.
  • Mental health & substance use.
  • Infant mental health.
  • Perinatal mental health.
  • Nutritional services.
  • Transportation services.
  • Housing assistance.
  • Adoption services.
  • Education & employment assistance.
  • Home visitation.
  • Family resource centers.
  • Community health workers.
  • Maternal child health focus.
  • Doula services

If your proposal does not align with the examples provided by OSDH, consider whether the program matches the reimbursable services outlined in the CCB statute. The OSDH examples are interpretations of the CCB statute, and neither list is exhaustive. You may still qualify even if your intended services are not explicitly mentioned. 

• • Medical care for the pregnant woman during her pregnancy, including, but not limited to, obstetric ultrasounds.
  • Mental health and substance abuse services.
  • Nutritional support services.
  • Housing assistance.
  • Adoption services.
  • Transportation services.
  • Education services.
  • Employment assistance.
  • Parenting education and support services.

If you are still unsure whether your program qualifies, the CCB statute includes open-ended clauses that allow for programs and services not explicitly listed. Your program may still qualify even if your intended services are not specifically mentioned by OSDH or the statute.

• • In-person and telecare community outreach.
  • Services, including but not limited to, health care services to mothers and infants up to 3 years postpartum, aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality rates.

Other Requirements from OSDH:

• • Grant funds cannot be used for religious worship, instruction, or proselytization. Women receiving grant-related services cannot be required or encouraged to participate in religious activities.
  • Women cannot be charged for services funded by the grant.

Estimated funding amounts per level:

• • Maximum: $3 to $5 million
  • Med Level: $1 to $2 million
  • Minimum: $300,000 to $500,000

Estimated Total Program Funding: $17,640,000

Application instructions, including a template, can be found on the OSDH Choosing Childbirth homepage.

The deadline is September 11, 2024 at 9:00 PM

This is a competitive bidding process, and OSDH has stated that incomplete, improperly formatted, or late applications will not be considered.

The OSDH Choosing Childbirth homepage is a treasure trove of information!

• • Answers to submitted questions (coming soon)
  • Recorded town halls explaining the application process.
  • Application template.
  • Official notice of funding opportunity (NOFO).
  • Expanded explanations.

OSDH is no longer answering questions as of August 15, 2024. Questions received by OSDH within the question period have been posted to the CCB website under FAQs.