The department shall maintain a program of maternal and child health.

The department may investigate, and disseminate educational information relating to, conditions affecting the health of the children of this state.

The program may include the provision of educational, preventative, diagnostic and treatment services, including medical care, hospitalization and other institutional care and aftercare, appliances and facilitating services directed toward reducing infant mortality and improving the health of mothers and children. The department may make grants or contracts or advance funds from any funds that are made available for the purposes of the Maternal and Child Health Program Act (Section 27).

The department shall also contract for an evaluation of the pilot project to ascertain whether use of the ambulatory uterine monitoring services significantly reduces the incidence of preterm births. The evaluation shall compare the experimental and control groups and identify the following for each group:

(A) The number of preterm births.

(B) The number of hospital days used by the mother prior to delivery.

(C) The number of hospital days used by the mother and child after delivery, including neonatal intensive care.

(D) The number of children born with developmental disabilities or conditions that may lead to developmental disabilities.

(E) The costs of providing prenatal services.

The pilot project established pursuant to this section shall be considered successful if it shows that the experimental group, when compared to the control group, had all of the following:

(A) A 20-percent reduction in the number of premature births.

(B) A 20-percent reduction in the number of antepartum hospitalization days.

(C) A 20-percent reduction in the number of neonatal intensive care unit days for premature births.

(D) A 20-percent reduction in total patient costs.

The department shall immediately seek any federal waivers necessary to ensure full federal financial participation in the pilot program established pursuant to this section.

The Maternal and Child Health Program Act (Section 27) does not give the power to force compulsory medical or physical examination of children.

Upon request the department shall advise all public officers, organizations, and agencies interested in the health and welfare of mothers and children in the state.

For purposes of this program, the department shall reimburse a county pursuant to this section in lieu of renewing or commencing a cooperative agreement with a county for the operation of a maternal and child health program.

Black infants continues to be two to four times higher than the rates for other groups statewide. Furthermore, preterm birth, which is the leading cause for infant death, has increased for the third straight year in California. The social support, stress management, and empowerment model of the Black Infant Health Program is an evidence-informed intervention program designed to reduce Black infant mortality. Other interventions that show promise but do not currently receive state support would enhance the impact of current funding for Black infant health.

local health jurisdictions and to work collaboratively with state and local Black Infant Health programs for the purpose of improving Black infant birth outcomes and reducing infant mortality.

shall be used by local health jurisdictions for any of the following purposes:

evidence-informed group prenatal care program that has shown promise in reducing the incidence of adverse birth outcomes and that includes, but is not limited to, improvement in health provider preterm birth screening and ongoing, risk-appropriate care for Black women to better identify and prevent preterm births.

(ii) Pregnancy intentionality, preconception, and interconception care programs.

(iii) Fatherhood or partnership initiatives that support engagement of partners in pregnancy and childbearing.

(iv) Evidence-based or evidence-informed home visitation programs inclusive of case management to increase advocacy and empowerment for Black women and to ensure linkages to prenatal care, monitoring, life planning,

birth spacing, infant development, and well-being.

local health jurisdiction determines that the strategy combines social interventions with medical interventions, including integration of mental health services in perinatal health care and other wraparound services, including, but not limited to, assessment, personalized case management, doulas, patient navigator services that increase patient empowerment, and access to and utilization of evidence-based interventions that reduce preterm birth and infant mortality, and that the strategy is evidence-based or evidence-informed in relation to reducing adverse birth outcomes.

(B) Providing technical assistance to recipients of local grants, and coordinating with local partners, such as hospitals, federally qualified health centers, health centers that are closely related to federally qualified health centers, county clinics, and

other community-based organizations.

(C) Carrying out local public awareness efforts around birth outcome inequities and the importance of preconception health, group prenatal care, evidence-based interventions to prevent preterm births, and social support during pregnancy, and to promote the role of fathers and partners as supports for women during and after pregnancy.

(D) Participating in collaborative statewide learning efforts and sharing best practices.

(E) Collecting and reporting data and information on process and outcome measures regarding the programs and activities carried out with allocated funds.

implementing the initiative, consult with stakeholders, including, but not limited to, representatives of county health departments, current or former

participants in the strategies described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), health providers, or organizations representing health providers that provide services to improve Black infant health outcomes, advocates, and any appropriate state department or agency.