Women, Infant and Community Wellness Section
Funding Opportunity
01/04/23 - RFA A378R – Reducing Infant Mortality in Communities
The North Carolina Division of Public Health, Women, Infant, and Community Wellness Section has released a Request for Application (RFA) #A378R - Reducing Infant Mortality in Communities (RIMC).
- Request for Application RIMC A378R (PDF, 816 KB)
- Request for Application Form RIMC A378R (Word, 36 KB)
- Open Windows Budget Form (XLS, 417 KB)
- Open Windows Budget Form Instructions (PDF, 537 KB)
- RFA A378R Endnote Citation Guidance (PDF, 97 KB)
- HEIA 2021 Facilitator’s Guide (PDF, 685 KB)
- HEIA 2021 Implementation Guide (PDF, 1 MB)
- CDC Preconception Health Checklist (PDF, 886 KB)
Eligibility:
Only specific local health departments/districts may apply to receive funding to implement the RIMC program. Local health departments/districts serving counties that rank in the top quartile (i.e., the top 25) for the infant mortality disparity ratio or the infant mortality rate are eligible to apply. The disparity ratio compares each county’s five-year average infant mortality rates between non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic African Americans during the 2016-2020 time-period.
How to Apply:
The Request for Applications (RFA) will be released on Wednesday January 4, 2023. Specific details on submitting applications for consideration will be included in the RFA.
The RFA may be downloaded from the NC Division of Public Health, Women, Infant, and Community Wellness Section’s website beginning January 4, 2023 at https://wicws.dph.ncdhhs.gov/.
All prospective applicants are recommended to participate on a Pre-Application Webinar on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1612792295?pwd=emc5a3JRaGZJeVovQi9Malg4elgrZz09
Any agency that plans to submit an application is REQUIRED to submit a non-binding notice of intent no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, February 17, 2023. The link to complete the notice of intent is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RIMCRFAA378R.
All prospective applicants are encouraged to submit questions regarding the RFA by email to renee.jackson@dhhs.nc.gov until 4:30 pm on Friday, February 17, 2023.
Deadline for Submission: 5:00 pm on Friday, March 3, 2023.
Request for Application Schedule:
01/04/2023 RFA released and consultation period begins.
01/18/2023 Pre-Application webinar - 10:00 am - 11:00 am
01/24/2023 Technical assistance call (optional) at 10:00 am - 11:00 am, call-in number is 919-501-4272.
02/17/2023 Mandatory Notice of Intent due at 5:00 pm.
02/17/2023 RFA consultation period ends. All questions due in writing by 4:30 pm.
02/24/2023 Question and answer addendum emailed to all eligible applicants.
03/03/2023 Application deadline at 5:00 pm.
03/31/2023 Successful applicants will be notified.
Direct all inquiries concerning this RFA to: Renee D. Jackson, RIMC Program Manager renee.jackson@dhhs.nc.gov.
News and Highlights
nbsp;2023 WICWS Internships 1/20/23
The Women, Infant and Community Wellness Section (WICWS) is enhancing our internship program by providing detailed descriptions of internship opportunities and an application process to promote equitable access for undergraduate and/or graduate students across North Carolina. Each year, the WICWS will post internship opportunities and guidance for the application process. Please review internship opportunities for 2023.
To apply for an internship opportunity, please complete the survey. We recommend carefully reviewing the project description for the internship for which you are applying to prior to submitting your application. Also, please note that there are two parts to the application—a written portion and a voluntary demographics survey.
Please email WICWS any questions or concerns about internship opportunities.
COVID-19 Vaccines Pregnancy, Breastfeeding and Fertility: What You Need to Know
2021 North Carolina Family Planning Summary
The North Carolina Title X Family Planning program has played an important role in ensuring access to a broad range of family planning and related preventive health services for low-income or uninsured individuals since 1973. These services include:
- contraceptive services and counseling
- breast and cervical cancer screenings for early detection
- sexually transmitted disease (STD) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention education, counseling, testing and referral
These services help to improve pregnancy planning and spacing and prevent unintended pregnancy. View the 2021 North Carolina Title X Family Planning summary infographic (PDF, 190 KB) for more detailed information.
NC Perinatal Health Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026
The NC Perinatal Health Strategic Plan (PHSP) serves as a statewide guide to improve maternal and infant health and the health of all people of reproductive age. The plan’s primary focus is increasing health equity, which is the opportunity for every person to have good health regardless of social and economic factors. The first PHSP began implementation in 2016, and the state continues to strive to achieve perinatal health equity. This plan, created for 2022-2026, seeks to address both the challenges of structural racism and of the COVID-19 pandemic by focusing on the drivers of health.
The NC Division of Public Health (DPH) brought together more than 100 stakeholders from across the state, currently known as the Perinatal Health Equity Collective, to develop this revised plan (PDF, 11 MB) and will continue to work with public, nonprofit, and private partners along with individuals with lived experiences to implement the plan and assess progress. To get involved or to ask questions, send us an email.
Plan of Safe Care (POSC)
09/11/18: A federal mandate went into effect on July 31, 2017 that requires health care providers involved in delivery and care of infants in North Carolina (and all states) to notify child welfare when an infant is identified by a medical provider
as being affected by:
- Mom’s untreated substance use disorder
or having:
- Withdrawal signs and symptoms
- Signs of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- A positive urine, meconium, or umbilical cord segment substance test with provider concerns.
This law also requires that a Plan of Safe Care (POSC) is developed for these infants. The POSC English (PDF, 2 MB) and Spanish (PDF, 2 MB) pamphlets provide basic information for patients regarding how and why a Plan of Safe Care is created. Agencies should download the brochures as needed.
Legislation was enacted by the NC General Assembly in December 2015 to establish the NC Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC). The MMRC is charged with reviewing all maternal deaths in the state to determine if pregnancy related or pregnancy associated.
The MMRC also has the responsibility to make recommendations for improvement. The DHHS was awarded a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant to support the work of the MMRC in late 2019. This is the first report (PDF, 7.3 MB) of the MMRC based on data from 2014-2016.
Quick Links
OPA Family Planning Clinic Locator - Click the locator link to find a Title X Family Planning Clinic near you and call to make your appointment!
Women’s Preventive Health Services Covered By The Affordable Care Act (ACA) - Preventive Health Services for Women
North Carolina Medical Center Resources - High-Risk Prenatal Care Resource List (PDF, 23 KB)
Trainings
Order Form
What We Do
The Women, Infant and Community Wellness Section develops and promotes programs and services that protect the health and well-being of infants and of women during their child-bearing years. The goal is to improve the overall health of women, reduce infant sickness and death, and strengthen families and communities.
The Women, Infant and Community Wellness Section also offers guidance, consultation and training for professionals who provide women's health services.
Local health departments and other community agencies serving each of the 100 counties in North Carolina provide a variety of these women's health services, including family planning, prenatal care, flu shots and other women's immunizations, and pregnancy care management. For more information on the services near you, contact your local health department.
The Women, Infant and Community Wellness Section is part of the North Carolina Division of Public Health.
Related Sites/Information
- Before, Between, and Beyond Pregnancy
- Division of Child and Family Well-Being
- Division of Public Health
- Immunization Section
- Injury and Violence Prevention Section
- March of Dimes
- Men’s Health Network
- Mom and Baby
- NC Association of Local Health Directors
- Office on Women's Health
- Plan of Safe Care (POSC)
- Preconception Health and Health Care
- Reproductive Health National Training Center (RHNTC)
- Show Your Love: Preconception Health
- Sickle Cell Syndrome Program
- Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives (TPPI)
- Tobacco Prevention and Control Section
Contact
Mailing Address
Women, Infant and Community Wellness Section
1929 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1929
Courier Number: 56-23-01
Physical Address
5601 Six Forks Rd.
Raleigh, NC 27609
Telephone
Main: (919) 707-5700
Fax: (919) 870-4827
Last Modified: 1-20-2023