Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Homevisiting Grant Program - The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) proposes to strengthen Oklahoma’s comprehensive early childhood system by supporting the delivery of coordinated, high-quality, and voluntary early childhood home visiting services to eligible families in high-risk communities identified through the updated needs assessment. Utilizing Evidence-Based Home Visiting Programs (EBHVPs), the project will focus on Comanche, Oklahoma, and Tulsa counties. The initiative will address gaps in services for at-risk populations, improve coordination, and increase family engagement. OSDH is requesting $7,187,025 in base funds and $1,512,949 in federal matching funds, for a total of $8,699,973. Matching funds will be used to expand and support service delivery across participating communities, increasing the program’s capacity and impact. Goals and Objectives Goal 1: Improve Coordination and Collaboration Objective: Establish and sustain local home visiting coalitions led by Community Connectors to strengthen coordination between EBHVPs and other community resources. Goal 2: Increase Outreach, Engagement, and Retention Objectives: Enhance the parentPRO Central Intake System and support Community Connectors in recruitment efforts and community engagement activities. Goal 3: Enhance the Quality of EBHVP Services Objectives: Implement new strategies within local implementing agencies (LIAs) and support local quality improvement projects to ensure effective service delivery. Approach To achieve these goals, OSDH will implement the following innovative strategies: 1. Community Connectors: Specially trained individuals who promote home visiting services, identify service gaps, and foster partnerships with local stakeholders—especially to reach underserved or special populations. 2. parentPRO Central Intake System: A centralized intake and referral system supported by a targeted marketing campaign designed to improve outreach and streamline enrollment into appropriate home visiting services. 3. Integrated Family Support Services: Strengthen referral pathways to complementary services such as Circle of Parents, Child Guidance, SoonerStart, and developmental screenings. OSDH will implement three EBHV models across the three at-risk counties: Nurse-Family Partnership, Parents as Teachers, and SafeCare. These evidence-based models will be delivered by 10 local implementing agencies (LIAs) in FFY 2025. • Caseload: o Current as of 04/10/2025: 560 family slots o Proposed FFY 2025: 786 family slots o Proposed FFY 2026: 786 family slots o Proposed FFY 2027: 786 family slots • MIECHV Communities Served: Comanche County, Oklahoma County, and Tulsa County • Local Implementing Agencies (LIAs): A total of 10 LIAs will receive FY 2025 MIECHV funding to deliver services in the identified high-risk communities. • Matching Funds: OSDH is applying for $1,512,949 in federal matching funds. These funds will be used to enhance outreach efforts through the Community Connectors and expand quality and capacity of LIAs to serve additional families. The match will be supported by non-federal state funds. Enhanced Coordination EffortsOklahoma’s EBHVP system is supported by a robust infrastructure, including: • The Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness (the state’s Early Childhood Advisory Council), which provides strategic oversight. • MIECHV Evaluation and Management Teams, which meet regularly to guide implementation and continuous improvement. • The Family Support Professional Community of Practice and the Parent Partnership Board, which foster collaboration, reduce duplication, and ensure family voice in decision-making. This comprehensive and community-driven approach will strengthen Oklahoma’s capacity to deliver equitable, high-quality home visiting services and improve long-term outcomes for vulnerable families.
