The mission of Maryland's Title V program is to protect, promote, and improve the health and well-being of women, infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special health care needs. The program strengthens the maternal and child health (MCH) infrastructure to ensure the availability, accessibility, and quality of primary and specialty care services.
As the Title V MCH Block Grant agency, the Maryland Department of Health’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) leads the implementation of strategies to enhance the health and well-being of MCH populations across the state. MCHB collaborates with various state agencies and partners to fulfill Title V’s mission.
Maryland Title V employs evidence-informed strategies to support state priorities and align with National and State Performance Measures (NPMs and SPMs). These priorities and measures provide a unified framework for MCH initiatives. Title V funds support direct, enabling, and public health system services across the state, partnering with local health departments, educational institutions, community-based organizations, and health care systems.
Title V also serves as a central connector among various MCH initiatives and supports critical public health infrastructure, including epidemiology, surveillance, and program management. The annual report highlights Maryland Title V activities, accomplishments, and progress towards NPMs and SPMs across five domains.
The program is guided by three frameworks: the Life Course Model, the Socio-Ecological Framework, and the Health Equity Framework. These frameworks consider the impact of exposures during critical life periods, the interplay between individual and societal factors, and the influence of institutional and structural inequities on health outcomes.