Author: Sam Fish | Posted: 23. July 2010 04:20
US DHHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced July 21 the award of $88 million in grants, provided under the Affordable Care Act, to support evidence-based home visiting programs focused on improving the wellbeing of families with young children. Through the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, nurses, social workers, or other professionals meet with at-risk families in their homes, evaluate the families’ circumstances, and connect families to the kinds of help that can make a real difference in a child’s health, development, and ability to learn. In addition, there is substantial evidence that these programs can improve outcomes for children and families. There is some indication that this level of intervention will yield Medicaid savings by reducing preterm births and the need for emergency room visits. Based on these findings, the Affordable Care Act provides a total of $1.5 billion for these initiatives over the next five years.
Forty-nine states, the District of Columbia, and five territories applied for and were awarded funding under this program, demonstrating the broad support that exists for these efforts. States and jurisdictions are conducting statewide assessments to identify existing home visiting programs and areas of high need. These assessments will then inform how they use these funds to assure effective coordination and implementation of evidence-based high-quality home visiting programs that are designed to improve maternal and child health, foster healthy child development, and prevent child maltreatment.
PCG has worked for some time with the Children’s Services Council (CSC) of Palm Beach County, Florida, where major county funding has been applied to reduce the risk for children in at-risk families. Palm Beach has invested funding in the area of Maternal and Infant health and has led the state in reducing the infant mortality rate. The CSC focuses largely on evidence-based practice that demonstrates quality care and safety for children in the home of at-risk parents.
