The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) will provide funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to expand access to and awareness of doula care in rural Oklahoma.
Donor Name: Oklahoma State Department of Health
State: Oklahoma
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/27/2026
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Expanding Care: Doulas Program opportunity is intended to fund entities to implement and/or expand proven models for doula training and certification, launch an awareness-building and education campaign for expecting parents, in addition to medical providers, and create and maintain a doula network across rural Oklahoma.
This program seeks to support rural maternal and child health by expanding access to doula care, focused on four distinct components:
- Expand training opportunities to prospective doulas who would serve rural communities in Oklahoma across pre conception, pre-natal, birthing, and post-natal periods, using an approved curriculum and ensuring that trainees are credentialed, enrolled, and trained on Medicaid claims processes
- Provide awareness-building and education for expecting parents to better understand doula care, the support it provides, and the opportunities to have care covered via insurance
- Build stronger partnerships between other maternal health providers (e.g., OB/GYN) and doula providers, including education about the role of doulas, resources to clarify referral processes, etc.
- Facilitate peer community and support for doulas across Oklahoma to compare learnings and best practices (e.g., care strategies, support with billing), receive support from peers, and potentially provide shared services for independent doulas (e.g., billing co-op or shared resources for managing claims)
Funding Information
- At least $2,500,000 to be issued in one or more awards
- Applicants may apply for up to $1,000,000 per component.
Uses of Funds
- Funding is for development and launch of doula training programs, an awareness-building and education campaign, and creation and maintenance of a doula support network in rural Oklahoma.
- Allowable uses include but are not limited to:
- Program design (e.g., staff time for workflow development or development of participant education materials, technical assistance for materials development, purchase of approved curriculum from doula experts)
- Training program implementation (e.g., personnel time, necessary staff travel, facilities costs)
- Equipment, supplies, and other materials necessary for training (e.g., general office supplies, consumable medical supplies, medical equipment that is not otherwise reimbursable or billed to a payer)
- Doula support costs (e.g., staff or contractor time to provide technical assistance for doulas, shared billing / invoicing services)
- Education directly related to program implementation for staff or partners (e.g., training on protocols, data collection, or required tools)
- Targeted public awareness campaigns (e.g., technical assistance for materials development, printing, and media expenses)
Eligibility Criteria
- Entities with demonstrated experience working with doulas (e.g., through training, awareness-building) are eligible to apply for this grant. OSDH welcomes collaborative approaches across organizations and rural areas. If there is an application involving multiple partners, one entity must apply as the sole applicant and will be responsible for receiving and administering the award. Applicants may work with other organizations through subawards, contracts, or other formal agreements, as appropriate. Eligibility criteria will apply to any and all applicant partners, except the location requirement
- Applicants must meet the criteria below to be eligible for this funding opportunity:
- Demonstrate a track record of successful doula programming and partnerships in rural communities
- Deliver direct program services supported by this award solely in eligible Oklahoma rural communities with populations under 55,000 (see Attachment A for a full list of eligible communities), except for select remote services that support participants in mthe rural community (e.g., remote training modules)
- While preference will be given to entities based in Oklahoma, out-of-state entities are eligible to apply. Out-of-state entities will be expected to clearly demonstrate the success of their program outside of Oklahoma, rationale for building a presence in Oklahoma, and commitment to supporting doula expansion in Oklahoma beyond the five-year RHTP period.
- Maintain relevant licenses and/or certifications as required by the State of Oklahoma and its regulatory bodies in accordance with proposed program activities (e.g., training doulas); if no licenses and/or certifications are required for the proposed program activities, please indicate this in the application. Applicant must possess the required licensure and certifications to provide all the services and programming described in their application, including certifications required to train doulas to bill Medicaid for services. Training curriculum used must align with the qualifications linked here.
- Have an active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and maintain active registration in SAM.gov throughout the application, review, and award period. Timelines for registration and receipt of a UEI vary significantly (e.g., weeks to months), so applicants should plan accordingly, as a UEI number is required to apply. The registration process is available here: Entity Registration | SAM.gov.
- Must not be suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from receiving federal funds
- Have an active Certificate of Insurance
- Have or currently be applying for an Oklahoma Supplier ID.
For more information, visit OSDH.
