(a) The Commissioner of Public Health shall establish a maternal and child health protection program. He shall contract, for purposes of the program, annually, within available appropriations, with local providers of health services to provide outpatient maternal health services and labor and delivery services to needy pregnant women and child health services to children under six years of age. Eligibility shall be limited to families who have an income equal to or less than one hundred eighty-five per cent of the poverty level, according to the federal Office of Management and Budget poverty guidelines for nonfarm families, lack private, third party health insurance to cover such services. Such local providers shall determine eligibility for services under the program. The contracts shall include criteria for making such determination in accordance with this section. Outpatient services provided under the program shall include at least the outpatient services provided to Medicaid recipients. The commissioner shall conduct an outreach program designed to educate the public with regard to the program and to encourage providers to participate in the program. The commissioner, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Services, shall seek any federal matching funds available for the program.

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(b) The Commissioner of Public Health shall allocate a percentage of program funds, for contracts with community health centers in Bridgeport, Hartford, Middletown, New Haven, New London, Stamford, Waterbury and Willimantic. The commissioner may use program funds to establish or fund innovative programs designed to improve the delivery of health services to eligible women and children. The commissioner shall continue to perform evaluation using outcome measures developed in consultation with the Office of Policy and Management.