Whether you are a mother-to-be or a mother of three, MAMA.MS.GOV can quickly connect you to the resources women and their children need to thrive, including health care, food and clothing, safety and shelter, jobs and job training, education, childcare, and much more.
(Miss. Atty General) Attorney General Lynn Fitch today [Oct. 2, 2023] unveiled Mississippi Access to Maternal Assistance (MAMA), a website that connects pregnant women and mothers to public and private resources from across the state. Click here to access the media kit.
“Our state is blessed with countless public and private resources, but it can be challenging to navigate while also adjusting to a changing family,” said General Fitch. “Whether you are a mother-to-be or a mother of three, MAMA.MS.GOV can quickly connect you to the resources women and their children need to thrive, including health care, food and clothing, safety and shelter, jobs and job training, education, childcare, and much more.”
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Designed with the goal of connecting mothers directly to the resources and services in three clicks or less, the site is organized by nine categories. The list of categories and some of the services available on MAMA.MS.GOV include:
- Pregnancy: Receive a free pregnancy test or ultrasound, visit a center with baby essentials, find a diaper bank, or take a childbirth and parenting class.
- Health: Enroll in Medicaid, find free health services near you, connect with a mental health counselor, seek help for substance abuse/addiction, or download health/pregnancy/childbirth tips.
- Adoption: Learn more about adoption and other life-affirming options.
- Food: Sign up for food benefits and assistance, locate food pantries or a community kitchen, or access free formula.
- Goods: Find a resource center near you with car seats, strollers, cribs, diapers and wipes, maternity and infant clothing, and other household items.
- Safety: Find a domestic abuse shelter or rape crisis center, connect with a confidential counselor, or request legal aid.
- Money: Apply for financial assistance and government benefits for food, rent/mortgages, transportation, and child care; learn more about child support enforcement; or find a financial planning and literacy class.
- Child Care: Locate a child care center near you or apply for financial assistance.
- Jobs: Search job openings, enroll in job training courses, or apply for financial aid for college.
“Today marks just the beginning of MAMA. Over the coming months, we expect it to grow and offer new and exciting opportunities and resources for Mississippi women and families. It is my hope that MAMA reminds mothers across the state of this important truth: you are not alone, and you can do this!” said General Fitch.
Organizations or agencies with resources to share or with updates to the information already on the MAMA site are asked to use this form. Similarly, organizations and agencies that would like to help inform the women and families who may find MAMA helpful are asked to use this form to request brochures.
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In 2023, General Fitch worked with the Mississippi State Legislature to create and adopt the Mississippi Access to Maternal Assistance (MAMA) program (SB 2781). The Office of the Attorney General was tasked with administering the program, with the assistance of a number of state agencies, including the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, which helped to stand up the website in just three months to make the statutorily-required launch date of October 1, 2023. A mobile app will be available January 1, 2024.
MAMA is a key component of The Empowerment Project, General Fitch’s initiative to empower women and their children. Learn more about The Empowerment Project at attorneygenerallynnfitch.com/theempowermentproject.
For more information, visit attorneygenerallynnfitch.com/mama or visit the MAMA site at MAMA.MS.GOV.
Editor's note: This article was published by the office of Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch and is reprinted with permission.
