West Virginia Mothers and Babies program reports expanded reach, asks lawmakers for $2 million

CHARLESTON — Jenny Entsminger, executive director of the West Virginia Pregnancy Center Coalition, told the Joint Committee on Health that the West Virginia Mothers and Babies Support Program served 21,345 women in its second year and is seeking an additional $2 million in state funding to expand services.

Entsminger said the coalition has managed the Mothers and Babies program since October 2023 under the Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health. She said the state authorized $3.3 million for the program last year and that less than 10% of those funds were used for administration and operations, with the remainder going to direct program services. "These monies have been spent effectively and efficiently," Entsminger said.

The program, Entsminger said, serves 53 pregnancy health organizations (PHOs) across all 55 counties — including 25 pregnancy centers, four maternity homes and 24 social service agencies — and provides free services such as first-trimester diagnostic ultrasounds, parenting and prenatal education, emergency housing, infant CPR training and material goods like cribs and diapers. She said PHOs do not charge clients for services.

Entsminger reported that, over the past year, the program recorded 977,000 requests for services and provided activity the coalition tallied as 2,600 hours of parenting education, 3,675 nights of emergency housing, 804 ultrasounds and 424 STD tests, along with distribution of more than 400,000 diapers. She described a 99.5% client satisfaction rate and added: "That's better than Chick-fil-A."

Entsminger described a mini-grant program created after Senate Bill 537 passed unanimously; she said of $3,000,000 in direct program funding, $2,000,500 went to fee-for-service reimbursements and $500,000 was set aside for mini grants. She named recipients and uses: ultrasound equipment for centers in Charleston, Summersville and Parkersburg; funding to expand St. Mary's maternity home in Martinsburg; a grant to open a new maternity home called Haven in Moundsville; and support for a Safe Haven recovery program location in Beckley.

She also described plans for a mobile medical unit based in Parkersburg that will provide ultrasounds and STD testing in surrounding rural counties and college communities and relayed testimony attributed to Janetta Ross, director of the Women's Center in Parkersburg, about transportation barriers and the proposed visiting schedule.

Entsminger requested an additional $2,000,000 on top of current funding for next year to expand the program's reach, open more pregnancy centers and maternity homes, and add case management services. "The investment will strengthen families, reduce the stress on foster care and Medicaid, and ensure that no West Virginia mother or baby is left without support," she told the committee.

During questions, the senator from Raleigh asked whether the program's client counts were comparable to birth counts in the state. Entsminger clarified the program's definition of "client," saying it covers pregnant women and women with children under age 2 and may include guardians or foster parents caring for children under age 2, which explains totals that exceed annual birth figures.

The committee did not vote on new funding during the session. After Entsminger finished, the committee moved to routine business, approved prior meeting minutes and adopted its 2025 final report by voice votes before adjourning.