HHS Awards $386 Million to Support Families through the Home Visiting Program
The funds will expand voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services
Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia m. Burwell has announced a $386 million grant in awards to states, territories, and nonprofit organizations to support the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (Home Visiting Program). According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the funds will allow states to continue to expand voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services to women during pregnancy and to parents with young children.
“Home visits by a nurse, social worker, or early childhood educator during pregnancy and in the first years of life can make a tremendous difference in the lives of many children and their families,” said Secretary Burwell. “Today’s awards give states the flexibility to tailor their home visiting programs to address the specific needs of the communities they serve.”
In 2014, the Home Visiting Program served 115,000 parents and children. Nearly 80 percent of families participating in the program had household incomes at or below the 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.
“The Home Visiting Program gives parents who chose to participate, the tools they need to support healthy outcomes for their children,” said Mary Wakefield, Ph.D., RN, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). “Evidence-based home visiting services are proven to help improve maternal and child health, prevent child abuse and neglect, and enhance school-readiness.”