Sunday, May 25, 2025
5/25/2025
Partnership for MCH Leadership Community - Abstract: Strengthening Maternal and Child Health Leadership for Improved Home Visiting Outcomes Focus Area: The Education Development Center (EDC) proposes to lead the Partnership for National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leadership Project under Focus Area 4. This initiative aims to enhance the leadership and workforce capacity of Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program leaders through targeted training, peer support, and cross-system coordination. This project seeks to ensure equitable, effective, and sustainable home visiting services for families across the United States by addressing critical workforce challenges and fostering leadership development. Target Audience: This project will serve state and territory MIECHV leaders, including program directors and key staff, who oversee the implementation of home visiting services for families nationwide. By building their leadership capacity and fostering connections across maternal and child health systems, the initiative will enhance the quality and equity of services delivered to families, including those in high-need or underserved communities. Needs to Be Addressed: State and territory MIECHV leaders face complex challenges that hinder program effectiveness and sustainability. These include persistent workforce shortages and high staff turnover, which disrupt service delivery; limited leadership development opportunities to prepare and support current and emerging leaders; fragmented systems of care that reduce collaboration and exacerbate inequities; and emerging public health priorities such as addressing mental health, substance use disorders, housing instability, and the needs of multilingual families. These barriers limit MIECHV leaders’ ability to achieve measurable improvements in maternal and child health outcomes. Program Description & Proposed Services: EDC will implement a comprehensive, two-level approach to address these needs and support MIECHV leaders. At the national level, EDC will collaborate with Title V, Urban MCH, Healthy Start programs, and other MCHB-funded capacity-building partners to align activities, disseminate evidence-based practices, and strengthen system-wide integration. This coordination will ensure that MIECHV priorities are embedded in the broader MCH ecosystem and that resources are maximized across programs. At the MIECHV leadership level, the project will establish the MIECHV Peer Connection Hub, an innovative leadership platform with three key components: the Collaborative Leadership Program (CLP), Peer Match Program (PMP), and MCH Connector. The CLP will lead four cohorts through a nine-month training program to build leadership competencies, including systems thinking, workforce sustainability, and strategic planning. The CLP will also connect MIECHV leaders with subject matter experts to build capacity to address current and emerging public health priorities. The PMP will foster meaningful, goal-oriented peer relationships to facilitate collaboration and shared problem-solving among MIECHV leaders. The MCH Connector will serve as a centralized hub for tools, resources, and communication, providing timely updates on public health priorities and promoting collaboration across MCH systems through peer-led offerings such as communities of practice. Through these activities, the project will build leadership and workforce capacity to address longstanding and emerging public health challenges. It will strengthen collaboration across MIECHV, Title V, Urban MCH, and Healthy Start programs, promoting alignment and collaboration across focus areas. Ultimately, the project will improve the sustainability and effectiveness of home visiting services for families across the United States. With EDC’s proven expertise as the nation’s leading technical assistance provider for MIECHV, we are well-positioned to drive impactful, sustainable improvements in maternal and child health outcomes.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).