Statewide performance of FL MIECHV sites—an indicator of program impact — improved across most measures included in its 2018 annual report to the Health & Human Services Administration (HRSA). Collectively, the state improved or maintained high performance levels in 15 of 19 reported measures from 2017 to 2018. Notable advances include:
- Tobacco Referrals increased from 35% to 91%,
- Daily Early Language & Literacy activities moved from 56% to 71%, and
- Completed Depression Referrals went from 9% to 23%.
The annual performance report highlights program activities in six benchmark areas: Maternal & Child Health; Child Injuries, Abuse & Neglect and ER Use; School Readiness & Achievement; Domestic Violence; Family Economic Self-Sufficiency, and Coordination and Referrals. The 2018 submission continues progress posted in prior years in both performance and data completeness.
In FY 18, FL MIECHV faced its greatest challenges in working with families to achieve self-sufficiency, specifically primary caregiver education and maintaining health insurance coverage.
The statewide initiative supports the implementation of three evidence-based home visiting models (Healthy Families Florida, Nurse-Family Partnership and Parents as Teachers) in 25 high-need communities and four contiguous areas. These sites provided 29,220 home visits to 2,550 families in 2018, including 1,086 pregnant woman and 2,165 children. Nearly three-fourths of program participants had incomes below the federal poverty level.
Federal funding for evidence-based home visiting and early childhood systems development is provided to states based on needs and past performance. Florida’s program has been administered since 2013 by the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions (FAHSC).
FL MIECHV Demographics & Service Utilization Report 2018 and FL MIECHV Performance Measurement Report 2018 summarize aggregate data for local sites. Site-specific reports are also provided to local programs to help inform their quality improvement activities. In the coming year, state CQI efforts will focus on Safe Sleep, Early Language and Literacy/Parent-Child Interaction, Parent/Caregiver Depression, and Family Engagement (Enrollment, Home Visit Completion, Retention).