Mini Grants Now Available Through DHS and HOPE for Georgia Moms

The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS), in partnership with HOPE for Georgia Moms at Northeast Georgia Health System (HOPE), has announced $60,000 in community mini-grants available to fund community-based Medicaid/PeachCare for Kids® redetermination awareness and educational activities.

Up to five organizations could be awarded grants to place ads in local papers, staff local outreach, or host an event through May 2024—the end of the federally mandated Medicaid redetermination process.

Redetermination is the process used to determine whether a pregnant mother on Medicaid can be covered for another year.

The grants’ focus is to develop ways to reach pregnant and new mothers on Medicaid who are most at risk for losing their coverage because they are the group hardest to reach to make sure they have completed all of the necessary paperwork.

In Georgia, approximately 56% of births are covered by Medicaid, and many mothers delivered during the pandemic when annual eligibility checks were paused for three years.

The grants will also help to ensure that Medicaid for Pregnant Women members who had a baby during the pandemic understand the redetermination process and will be prepared in the future for the resumption of annual benefits eligibility checks.

Eligible organizations can apply for one grant, a combination of grants, or all grants offered, up to a total amount of $12,000 that must be used by May 31, 2024.

The grants offered are:

• $2,000 printing grant: to print and distribute approved campaign materials within the community.
• $2,000 local advertising grant: to purchase and place approved ads within local publications.
• $4,000 community event grant: to host a local event or to purchase and staff a booth at a larger event to raise awareness about Medicaid redetermination.
• $4,000 community staff supplement grant: to supplement community worker time to conduct outreach within the community.

The deadline to apply is February 21.

Georgia Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids® members can update their contact information in one of three ways:

1) Online at Georgia DHS’ benefits website
2) In person at their local DFCS office: dfcs.georgia.gov/locations
3) By phone at 1-877-GA-DHS-GO or 711 for the hearing impaired

To learn more about Medicaid redetermination, visit staycovered.ga.gov.