MCH Workforce Development and Training Center - The proposed National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Workforce Development and Training Center will strengthen the capacity of the MCH public health workforce to effectively implement the Title V MCH Services Block Grant and improve outcomes for women, children, families, and communities nationwide. The MCH workforce is facing significant challenges, including high rates of turnover and retirement, limited formal public health training, and gaps in critical skills such as systems thinking, leadership, and program implementation. These challenges are compounded by increasing complexity in public health systems and persistent barriers to accessing high-quality, practice-relevant training. To address these needs, the Center will provide a comprehensive, coordinated continuum of workforce development services grounded in a training transfer model that emphasizes the application of learning to real-world practice. The Center will integrate two established, national programs—the UNC National MCH Workforce Development Center and Georgetown University’s MCH Navigator—into a single, unified program that combines intensive training, technical assistance, and scalable online learning. Key services will include: (1) long-term, intensive, team-based training and technical assistance through the Learning Journey to support systems-level change in Title V programs; (2) short-term, targeted training opportunities, including the MCH Leadership Sprint and MCH Skills Certificate programs, designed to rapidly build workforce competencies; (3) a national, competency-based online learning platform offering self-directed training, individualized learning plans, and progress tracking; and (4) academic–practice partnerships, including faculty development and a structured Title V MCH Internship Program to strengthen pathways into the MCH workforce. These services will be implemented through strong partnerships with national organizations, Title V programs, and academic institutions, and informed by an ongoing, multi-method workforce needs assessment. The Center will also lead a national MCH Workforce Strategy Network to enhance coordination, reduce duplication, and expand the reach of high-quality training resources. The Center will serve MCH professionals at all career stages—including Title V staff, local and state public health practitioners, students, and faculty—across all 59 states and jurisdictions, ensuring broad access to high-quality training opportunities nationwide. Through this coordinated, scalable approach, the Center will build workforce knowledge, skills, and confidence; strengthen organizational capacity; and support effective implementation of Title V programs—resulting in measurable improvements in workforce performance, stronger MCH systems, and improved population health outcomes nationwide.
