The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs is a national resource, partner and advocate for state public health leaders and others working to improve the health of women, children, youth and families, including those with special health care needs.
AMCHP's members come from the highest levels of state government and include directors of maternal and child health programs, directors of programs for children with special health care needs, and other public health leaders who work with and support state maternal and child health programs. Our members directly serve all women and children nationwide, and strive to improve the health of all women, infants, children and adolescents, including those with special health care needs, by administering critical public health education and screening services, and coordinating preventive, primary and specialty care. Our membership also includes academic, advocacy and community based family health professionals, as well as families themselves.
AMCHP builds successful programs by disseminating best practices; advocating on their behalf in Washington; providing technical assistance; convening leaders to share experiences and ideas; and advising states about involving partners to reach our common goal of healthy children, healthy families, and healthy communities.
A Leader in Family Health
Through leadership training, technical assistance and educational initiatives, AMCHP builds the capacity of state health agencies to manage vital programs for women, children and families. Like our nation’s system of roads and bridges, our systems of health and social services need regular attention and upgrading. AMCHP helps our members build the infrastructure for cost-effective, quality health care.
Women’s and Perinatal Health
AMCHP conducts several programs to promote quality health care for women of reproductive age, including comprehensive prenatal and postnatal care. Nationally the incidence of low birthweight babies and infant mortality for African Americans is twice the rate for whites. Through AMCHP’s Action Learning Labs, state family health programs learn how to reduce these racial and ethnic disparities. Other technical assistance programs help prevent HIV transmission from mothers to babies, help women quit smoking during pregnancy and promote safe motherhood.
Adolescent and School Health
AMCHP partners with state health agencies, schools and youth organizations to prevent behaviors that place youth at risk for HIV, STDs, unintended pregnancy and other significant health problems. Using tools like the Conceptual Framework for Adolescent Health, AMCHP helps strengthen state adolescent health programs. Through a formal partnership with the National Network of State Adolescent Health Coordinators, AMCHP builds strong public support for an investment in youth and families.
Children With Special Health Care Needs
AMCHP members serve one million of the estimated 12 million children who have a disability or chronic illness. AMCHP works to ensure that children with special health care needs receive high quality, family-centered and integrated health services. We work with national and state partners to link children identified with a special need to appropriate health care and support services.
Policy and Advocacy
AMCHP works to strengthen national policy and increase resources for maternal and child health programs. We advocate for a national investment in family health, universal health insurance and health care for the most vulnerable. To keep our members informed, AMCHP tracks and analyzes emerging policy issues that impact family health, such as Medicaid reform, bioterrorism and welfare reauthorization.
Data and Assessment
AMCHP collects and analyzes data to monitor factors affecting the health of families. Our professional staff train state agencies to use data to improve their health programs. For example, MATRICHS, an online training program conducted in partnership with the University of Rochester, teaches multidisciplinary state teams practical and sustainable analytical skills.
Our Support
AMCHP receives generous support from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Commonwealth Fund, the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in addition to the dues paid by AMCHP members.