The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services today rolled out expansions of a Lawrence pilot project intended to help pregnant women stay clean from drugs and alcohol during their pregnancies.

The program, called Health in Pregnancy, began in Lawrence in July of 2006. Since then, the project has served seven Lawrence women, four of which remain with the program.

Since receiving funding as part of the Family Preservation Demonstration Project last legislative session, SRS expanded the project to include Sedgwick, Ellis and Barton counties.

“This project is about prevention,” SRS Secretary Gary Daniels said Thursday. “It’s very important that we intervene early.”

Local partners, including the DCCCA Center, Bert Nash and others have referred eligible women to SRS to participate in the program. Once in the program, SRS offers women incentives such as help purchasing maternity clothes and baby cribs in exchange for staying drug and alcohol-free during their pregnancy.