Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Homevisiting Grant Program - Purpose: The purpose of Arkansas MIECHV is to improve outcomes for at-risk children and families through four evidence-based models and one promising approach. Research shows that home visiting (HV) programs are effective in addressing the health and well-being needs of at-risk families, particularly in rural areas. Home visiting services are supported by ongoing training, reflective supervision, data collection and review, coordinated intake, program evaluation, continuous quality improvement (CQI), and subrecipient monitoring. Goals and Objectives: 1) Ensure that all HRSA administration and evaluation requirements are fulfilled within due dates, 2) Work to achieve and maintain the average annual active enrollment for each HV model of at least 85% of maximum service capacity, 3) Demonstrate excellence in providing HV services to participants as shown through maintained or improved benchmark performance measure results, 4) Increase HV staff capacity and subject matter expertise through ongoing training, 5) Practice CQI in home visiting programs. Approach: Home visiting services are provided by 31 local implementing agencies (LIAs) through four evidence-based models: 1) Healthy Families America (HFA), 2) Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), 3) Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), 4) Parents as Teachers (PAT), and through one promising approach - Following Baby Back Home (FBBH). • Proposed Caseload of Family Slots: October 2026 - September 2027: 1,440 October 2027 - September 2028: 1,455 • Arkansas MIECHV serves the following counties: Arkansas, Ashley, Baxter, Benton, Boone, Bradley, Calhoun, Carroll, Clark, Cleburne, Cleveland, Columbia, Conway, Craighead, Crawford, Crittenden, Cross, Dallas, Faulkner, Fulton, Garland, Grant, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Jefferson, Lee, Lincoln, Lonoke, Madison, Marion, Miller, Mississippi, Monroe, Montgomery, Nevada, Newton, Ouachita, Phillips, Pike, Poinsett, Polk, Prairie, Pulaski, Saline, Searcy, Sebastian, Sharp, Saint Francis, Stone, Union, Van Buren, and Washington. • Matching funds are state general funds legislatively appropriated to support home visiting service delivery under a state grant awarded to Arkansas Children's Hospital by the Arkansas Department of Education ABC Professional Services Grant. Non-federal matching funds for Arkansas' MIECHV Project will be used to support service delivery though the HIPPY, PAT and HFA evidence-based home visiting models by funding 22.75 existing home visiting FTE's that would otherwise be cut from the formula budget and to supplement travel, quality monitoring, and data collections costs.
