Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Homevisiting Grant Program - Annotation: New Mexico Early Childhood Education & Care Department (ECECD) oversees the states Local Implementing Agencies (LIAs). ECECD provides important early childhood infrastructure services to eligible families in all regions of the state. As a result, New Mexico’s families can achieve positive outcomes in children’s overall development, increase school readiness, and enhance parents’ abilities to support and nurture their children. Along with support to collaborate with governmental entities and other local providers to increase awareness and family engagement within the communities of New Mexico. Problem: ECECD determines areas in the state where families and children are most at risk of negative outcomes. ECECD believes all families can benefit from home visiting but takes an approach to ensure that all families in need receive extra focus and support. Home visiting is provided to families prenatally to the age of five years old. By setting the foundation for early prenatal care and encouraging healthy births, home visitors assist families in preparing for pregnancy, provide support during pregnancy, and promote the delivery of a healthy baby. Purpose: New Mexico leverages the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) federal grant to fund evidence-based home visiting direct services and invests in infrastructure supports for data management and ongoing professional development to ensure quality services and programming. New Mexico’s Home Visiting program is well-established and is committed to a universal approach, improving early childhood outcomes for all children and families, by enhancing and expanding supportive relationships for children and their families. ECECD works with Local Implementing Agencies (LIAs) to administer evidence-based home visiting across the state. ECECD also partners with the University of New Mexico for infrastructure support, including data management and continuous professional growth and development. New Mexico Home Visiting Goals and Objectives: New Mexico’s LIAs provide a range of home visitation services and models to families beginning prenatally until their children are five years old. Home visitors support families by promoting early prenatal care and healthy births, teaching positive parenting and safety practices, screening for developmental delays and mental health concerns, assisting with access to health insurance and care, and referring families to appropriate community supports. Goal 1. New Mexico families who participate in the New Mexico MIECHV Home Visiting program will have an aligned system approach for prenatal through five services. LIAs will identify pregnant families and young children in New Mexico communities to improve health outcomes. Goal 2: Eligible enrolled parents/caregivers and children will be screened to promote improved prenatal, maternal, and child health outcomes. Approach: New Mexico will continue its current use of the evidence-based models, Nurse Family Partnership (NFP), Parents as Teachers (PAT), and introduce Healthy Families Amera (HFA). New Mexico will serve the following communities with FY 2025 NCC Base and Matching Grant: Dona Ana, Otero, Roosevelt, Curry, Luna, Hidalgo, Bernalillo, Valencia, Rio Arriba, and Sandoval. In the proposed allocation, New Mexico Home Visiting is working towards filling all allotted slots. New Mexico intends to continue outreach and recruitment efforts to maintain enrollment of the 648 MIECHV family slots.
