Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Homevisiting Grant Program - Address: P.O. Box 70184 San Juan, PR 00936-8184 Project Director Name: Manuel I. Vargas Bernal, MD, MPH. Contact Phone Numbers: 787-765-2929 x. 4583/4550 Fax: 787-294-0746 Email: mivargas@salud.pr.gov Website: www.salud.pr.gov Funds: MIECHV X10 ($1,817,471.00) Annotation: Familias Saludables Puerto Rico (FSPR) is a home visiting program for high-risk pregnant women until child is 36 months old. The main goal is to continue improving the home-visiting services available in Puerto Rico, strengthening healthy physical, emotional, social and cognitive development during early childhood. Participants will learn about baby’s development and milestones, activities according to baby’s age, infant activities promoting brain development, family planning, setting goals, being more autonomous, and referrals to community resources based on their needs. Problem: FSPR addresses maternal and early childhood needs of families in municipalities that have been identified with high incidence of health, socioemotional, and socioeconomic risk factors. Purpose: The Program purpose is to offer services to high-risk pregnant women using strength based, family-centered partnerships and relationship-based interactions. Goals: (1) Improve health of children and women of childbearing age (2) Reduce intentional and unintentional injuries (3) Improve school readiness and achievement (4) Reduce rates of domestic violence (5) Increase family economic self-sufficiency (6) Improve coordination and referrals to other community resources and support. Main Objectives: (1) By 09/29/25, increase/maintain at 70% rate of enrolled women having post-partum check up by medical provider within 2 months of delivering (2) By 09/29/25, increase/maintain at 90% rate of primary caregivers whose caregiver-child interaction is observed (3) By 09/29/25, increase/maintain at 70% rate of children enrolled in home visiting with a family member who reported that during a typical week s/he read, told stories and/or sang songs with their child daily, every day (4) By 09/29/25, increase/maintain at 80% rate of enrolled women screened for Intimate Partner Violence during first 6 months of enrollment (5) By 09/29/25, increase/maintain at 60% rate of enrolled primary caregivers maintaining continuous school enrollment or completed high school or equivalent (6) By 09/29/25, increase or maintain at 80% rate of enrolled families referred to available therapeutic services for depression and general mental health available in the community when need is identified. Methodology: FSPR will implement the evidence-based home visiting model Healthy Families America with Growing Great Kids curriculum to pregnant and post-partum women, resident of Orocovis, Barranquitas, Jayuya, Adjuntas, Arroyo, Maunabo, Patillas, Maricao, Las Marías and Guánica. Projected program caseload will be 146 families on FY 2023-2024 and between 179-182 (depending on FTE) for FY 2024-2025 for the ten municipalities using the HFA Caseload Policy. Currently (April 2023), there are 68 families enrolled. FSPR provides home visits offering: prenatal and post-partum care; orientation about breastfeeding, immunization, health and safety; child development education and parenting skills; support in family goal planning; and other services referrals based on family needs. Intensive long-term services begin prenatally or right after birth of baby, with voluntary participation. When completing the program, families are linked to community Head Start Program. The proposed project will profit from the coordination efforts undergone with the previous formula grant. Current coordination includes: 1) PR-DoH (WIC, Title V, Early Intervention, and Asthma Program), 2) Department of Education, 3) Healthcare insurance companies, 4) Head Start Collaboration Office, 5) Department of the Family (ACUDEN and ADFAN), and 6) Puerto Rico Healthy Start Initiative. These agencies are members of the FSPR State Advisory Committee.
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).