Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
Supporting Maternal and Child Health Innovation in States - State and local policy initiatives that aim to improve maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes and reduce persistent health disparities are essential to ensuring equitable access to quality, affordable healthcare and social and economic supports so that families and communities can thrive. The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs’ (AMCHP) proposed project, the MCH Policy Ideation to Action (I2A) Learning Collaborative, will increase the number of state-led policy initiatives designed to reduce the drivers of health disparities for MCH populations by addressing social determinants of health (SDoH). The overarching purpose of our project is two-fold: 1) Advance Equity: Create and maintain systems and policies to achieve a nation where all families and communities thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally regardless of their identities or life circumstances, and 2) Policy Action: Support the development and implementation of innovative policy initiatives to improve outcomes and reduce health disparities for MCH populations. The project will build the capacity of public health leaders at the state and local level, including professionals representing the Title V MCH Services Block Grant, housing/social service agencies, local health departments, and community-based organizations, to effectively use policy approaches related to housing and food security for MCH populations and address other emerging and priority MCH issues. To achieve this, AMCHP will: 1) Develop and implement a learning collaborative to support six cross-sector Title V-led teams in the development of housing and/or food security policy initiatives, 2) Develop and disseminate universal technical assistance (TA) to assist MCH professionals and their partners in effectively using policy approaches to improve SDoH and address emerging and priority needs for MCH populations, and 3) Develop an MCH Policy Innovation Subject Matter Expert (SME) Council of federal, national, state, and community-based MCH/SDoH SMEs, including MCH PIP and other HRSA-funded grantees, to leverage and mobilize knowledge, assets, and connections and facilitate grantee alignment.
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).