HHS Announces Expansion of Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program in 13 States

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–September 6, 2013. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced $69.7 million in grant awards to 13 states to expand Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program activities funded by the Affordable Care Act. These competitive awards recognize states that have implemented a high-quality, evidence-based home visiting program as part of a comprehensive, early childhood system of care.

“These awards support states in their efforts to expand and improve home visiting support services for our most vulnerable children and families,” said Secretary Sebelius.

Funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the MIECHV Program provides grants to states to deliver critical health, development, early learning and family support services to children and families who enroll in the program. The program provides voluntary home visits in communities identified by the state grantees for eligible families who welcome education and support to strengthen their relationship with their infants and young children. The program helps to ensure women have a healthy pregnancy.

Since the MIECHV Program was enacted in 2010, it’s been implemented in 544 communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five territories to serve about 15,000 families. HHS’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) partners with HRSA to implement the MIECHV Program, and leads the Tribal Home Visiting Program.

“This program plays a crucial role in the national effort to build comprehensive statewide early childhood systems for pregnant women, parents and caregivers, and children from birth to 8 years of age – and, ultimately, to improve health and development outcomes,” said Mary Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N., Administrator, HRSA.

Eligibility was limited to those states and territories that received a competitive development grant in 2011 or have not yet received a competitive MIECHV grant.

A list of awards as follows:

Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Expansion Grant Awards
Organization	City	State	Award
Administration for Children and Families	Montgomery	AL	$6,879,945
Executive Office of the Governor of Delaware	Dover	DE	$4,564,242
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene	Baltimore	MD	$6,427,296
Michigan Department of Community Health	Lansing	MI	$7,200,000
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services	Helena	MT	$5,731,569
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services	Concord	NH	$1,461,377
New Mexico Department of Children, Youth and Families	Santa Fe	NM	$1,428,900
Nevada Department of Health and Human Services	Carson City	NV	$1,791,559
Oregon Department of Health and Human Services	Portland	OR	$7,200,000
Rhode Island Department of Health	Providence	RI	$5,855,373
Children’s Trust Fund of South Carolina	Columbia	SC	$7,199,374
Texas Health and Human Services Commission	Austin	TX	$7,200,000
Wisconsin Department of Children and Families	Madison	WI	$6,727,566
		TOTAL	$69,667,201