The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148) includes a provision authorizing the creation of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) under a new section of Title V and provides $1.5 billion over five years to States, tribes and territories to develop and implement one or more evidence based home visitation models. This provision responds to the diverse needs of children and families in communities at risk and provides an unprecedented opportunity for collaboration and partnership at the federal, state, and community levels to improve health and development outcomes for at-risk children through evidence-based home visiting programs.
State MCH programs have a long history of utilizing home visiting strategies to improve the health of vulnerable families. Prior to passage of the Affordable Care Act, nearly 40 states managed or financed home visiting programs. A majority of these programs are managed by state MCH programs. For pregnant women and mothers with new babies, these programs deliver educational visits, provide parent education, and link new mothers and families to needed health and social services.
Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Technical Assistance Coordinating Center (TACC)
MIECHV TACC provides support to HRSA grantees in implementing MIECHV funded home visiting programs. AMCHP partners with Zero to Three and the TACC to provide targeted technical assistance to states to help strengthen their infrastructure to support the delivery of evidence-based home visiting programs and collect and disseminate state best practices in home visiting settings. The WIH program has developed a Home Visiting Technical Assistance Needs Report that describes the most common technical assistance needs shared by states and territories and includes recommendations on technical assistance delivery for each of the identified needs.
For up to date resources and information, visit the MIECHV TACC here.