TULSA, Okla. — Weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Governor Kevin Stitt announced a new task force to help support pregnant women in Oklahoma. Now, recommendations are in place and in the hands of the governor.
The Helping Every Life and Parent, simply known as HELP, Task Force has presented more than a dozen recommendations to Gov. Stitt this week.
This task force, which came together for the first time in September, had just six weeks to study, evaluate, and make recommendations to support crisis pregnancy centers, make adoptions easier, support mothers facing an unplanned pregnancy, and empower nonprofits and local faith communities to support families and mothers before, during and after childbirth.
Some of the recommendations include:
- Increasing funding adoption centers can give pregnant women for living and transportation from $1,000 to $3,500.
- Expanding maternity health care services, particularly in service desert areas.
- Provide and expand available funding to pregnancy centers through the Choosing Childbirth Act.
Other recommendations include some changes to SoonerCare as well. The task force is asking for women to have coverage after pregnancy for 12 months instead of 60 days and raising the income eligibility to ensure more low-income pregnant and post-partum women qualify.
The task force would like to create an Oklahoma life and parenting brand with a website for resources, initiatives, programs, assistance, and educational information.
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