Thursday, March 13, 2025
3/13/2025
Project Abstract Project Title: Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV)- Base Grant Applicant Name: Ohio Department of Children and Youth/Ohio Department of Health Address: 246 N. High Street; Columbus, Ohio 43215 Project Director Name: Alicia Leatherman Contact Phone Numbers: 614-441-7918 Work; 614-946-8789 Cell Email: Alicia.leatherman@childrenandyouth.ohio.gov Website Address: www.helpmegrow.ohio.gov Annotation: Pending federal approval, the Ohio Department of Health will be transferring the MIECHV lead entity responsibilities to the newly formed Ohio Department of Children and Youth. MIECHV funding will provide evidence-based home visiting (EBHV) services to over 2,262 families in twenty-seven counties (27) that have been identified as high-risk through the 2020 MIECHV Needs Assessment. Ohio will continue to focus on achieving and maintaining high levels of enrollment, improving safe sleep education utilizing quality improvement science, and developing and establishing baseline parent engagement and satisfaction rates. Problem: Ohio will utilize EBHV services to address the current disparities in maternal and child health, child abuse and neglect, school readiness and positive parenting to provide parents with the support they need to achieve the goals they have for themselves and their families. An example of an existing disparity is the infant mortality rate that continues to be over two and a half times higher for Black babies than white babies. Purpose: All expectant and new parents benefit from receiving support to prepare, care for and foster the development of their babies. However, research finds that families with economic and social barriers most benefit from consistent, regular, and non-judgmental family support programming. Goals and Objectives: Goal 1: Reach statewide capacity of 85% by June 30, 2025 and maintain that benchmark through the grant period. Goal 2: Improve statewide benchmark performance of safe sleep education and assessments by September 30, 2026. Goal 3: Establish parent engagement and satisfaction rates by January 1, 2025. Approach: Evidence-based Home Visiting Models- Healthy Families America (HFA), Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) and Parents As Teachers (PAT). The nearly 500 new slots will be distributed to Early Head Start Home-Based (EHS-HB), HFA, PAT or NFP based on a competitive process. Communities: Twenty-seven (27) counties will be funded and are considered high-need communities: Adams, Allen, Athens, Butler, Clark, Coshocton, Cuyahoga, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Guernsey, Hamilton, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Lucas, Mahoning, Marion, Meigs, Montgomery, Morgan, Muskingum, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Summit and Vinton. The additional slots will be awarded in the counties with the highest number of Black infant deaths and who need to increase slots to be aligned with comparable county allocations. Those counties are Butler, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Lucas, and Montgomery. Caseload: Approximately 2,262 families total will be served in FFY 24 and FFY 25. Ohio will fund a statewide infrastructure through Bright Beginnings, the current central intake and referral vendor, Bright Beginnings will secure major referral partnerships with Medicaid providers, the Women Infant and Children (WIC) program and local Public Children’s Services Agencies (PCSAs), as well as develop and implement community-based recruitment strategies. Through the intake process, each family will be screened for Social Determinates of Health risk factors and connected to an EBHV program of their choice. In addition to the required intake risk factors screening, Ohio EBHV providers shall facilitate a comprehensive assessment for each family. The comprehensive assessment will identify challenges, barriers, community linkages needed, as well identify family strengths that will be leveraged to achieve the overarching goal of self-sufficiency.
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).