A new issue brief, highlighting the success and support provided to families with young children by the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, was released today by the federal Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). New state profiles were also unveiled to complement the report.
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Partnering with Parents to Help Children Succeed reports that more than 115,000 parents and children benefited from the initiative in 2014. Nearly 750,000 home visits were provided to families using a recognized evidence-based model.
The MIECHV Program funded services in 30 percent of all urban counties, and 17 percent of all rural counties in 2014. It currently serves families in approximately one-third of counties with high rates of infant mortality, children living in poverty, low-weight births, and teen births.
Program accomplishments featured in the brief include:
- High screening rates which contribute to the early identification of children with developmental delays;
- Early detection of intimate partner violence (IPV) which impacts the physical and mental health of parents and exposed children;
- Improved use of well-child care, and
- Increased rates of screening for maternal depression.
In addition to screening, home visitors supported by the program play a critical role in aiding families by providing needed referrals and connections to community services, notes the brief. The report also offers preliminary findings from a national evaluation of the home visiting initiative.
The new state profiles provide state-specific information on MIECHV, including links to information about Title V and other federally funded programs. Click here to see Florida’s MIECHV profile.