MAMA app available to connect women and families

Special to The Canton News 

Pregnant women and mothers can now utilize the free Mississippi Access to Maternal Assistance (MAMA) mobile app to connect them to private and public resources available across the state. Since its launch last October, over 7,200 individuals have visited the MAMA website, MAMA.ms.gov.

“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 Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “Whether you are a mother-to-be or a mother of three, MAMA can quickly connect women and their children to the resources they need to thrive, including infant essentials, food, financial assistance, clothing, shelter, job opportunities and childcare.”

Like the website, the new mobile app is designed with the goal of connecting mothers directly to the resources and services in three clicks or less. Both are organized by nine categories, including: 

∙    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 neabrby, connect with a mental health counselor, seek help for substance abuse/addiction, or download health/pregnancy/childbirth tips.
∙    Adoption: Learn more about adoption, locate safe haven baby boxes, or explore other life-affirming options.
∙    Food: Sign up for food benefits and assistance, locate food pantries and community kitchens, or access free formula.
∙    Goods: Find a resource center nearby 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 nearby or apply for financial assistance.
∙    Jobs: Search job openings, enroll in job training courses, or apply for financial aid for college

Since October, more than one hundred new resources have been added to the service directory. Public, private, and faith-based entities that would like to be added to the MAMA Service Directory can contact the Attorney General’s office at [email protected]. Similarly, organizations and agencies that would like to help spread the word about the MAMA program to women and families can request brochures online at MAMA.ms.gov.

For more information, visit MAMA.ms.gov, or download the MAMA app in the Apple Store or the Google Play Store.