MANSFIELD — The Community Health Access Project (CHAP) has announced a new community initiative designed to help individuals identify pregnancies earlier and connect to care sooner.
Through a partnership with UnitedHealthcare, CHAP is placing free, discreet pregnancy test kits at trusted community locations across the region.
The goal of the initiative is simple: reduce barriers to early pregnancy detection and make it easier for individuals to connect with support services as soon as possible.
The kits are being distributed at high-traffic community locations, including community agencies, and other accessible public spaces. Each kit contains a pregnancy test and a small card with information on how to connect with CHAP’s Community Health Workers for confidential support and care coordination.
“Early identification of pregnancy can make a meaningful difference for both mothers and babies,” said Brice Eyerly, Executive Director of CHAP. “By placing free tests in locations where people already feel comfortable, we hope to remove barriers and make it easier for someone to take that first step toward care.”
Once a pregnancy is identified, CHAP’s Community Health Workers can assist with connecting individuals to prenatal care, insurance coverage, transportation, nutrition support, and other services that contribute to a healthy pregnancy.
Research has consistently shown that early prenatal care and community-based care coordination improve outcomes for mothers and infants.
Programs that connect expectant mothers with Community Health Workers have been associated with improved access to prenatal care and reductions in risks such as preterm birth and low birth weight.
Through this initiative, CHAP hopes to reach individuals who may otherwise delay testing or care due to cost, stigma, transportation barriers, or uncertainty about where to turn for help.
“Community Health Workers meet people where they are,” Eyerly said. “Our job is to make sure that once someone knows they’re pregnant, they have someone walking alongside them to help navigate the next steps.”
The initiative is part of CHAP’s broader effort to improve maternal and infant health outcomes across Richland, Ashland, Crawford, Huron, Morrow, and Knox counties.
Organizations that serve the community and would like to make pregnancy tests available at their location are encouraged to partner with CHAP. To request test kits or learn more about the initiative, please contact CHAP at 419-526-2427.
About the Community Health Access Project (CHAP)
The Community Health Access Project is a Pathways Community HUB serving north central Ohio. Through a network of Community Health Workers and partner agencies, CHAP connects individuals facing health and social barriers to the services they need, helping improve outcomes for families across the region.