WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a significant stride towards addressing the maternal health crisis in the United States, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced an allocation of over $558 million. This initiative is a key component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to reducing the country’s maternal mortality rate, guided by the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a branch of HHS, has earmarked more than $440 million to enhance maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting services nationwide. These services are voluntary and evidence-based, targeting eligible families in need. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will also invest $118.5 million over five years. This funding will be distributed across 46 states, six territories, and freely associated states to strengthen public health infrastructure aimed at identifying and preventing pregnancy-related deaths.
In 2022, President Biden’s bipartisan legislation doubled funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program over five years. This represented the first significant expansion of the federal home visiting program in nearly a decade. The program empowers local organizations to provide crucial home visits by trained health workers, such as nurses and social workers. These professionals offer prenatal and postpartum support, assist with breastfeeding, ensure safe sleep practices for infants, and provide early language development and developmental screening services. They also connect families with community resources, including affordable childcare, job, and educational opportunities.
Vice President Harris highlighted the urgency of addressing maternal health, stating, “As someone who has spent my entire career fighting for the health and wellbeing of women and children, I am committed to addressing a maternal health crisis in which women across America are dying before, during, and after childbirth at higher rates than in any other developed nation.”
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra underscored the importance of home visits, citing decades of research that demonstrate their effectiveness in improving health outcomes for both women and children. “President Biden and Vice President Harris know how important it is to support children in their most crucial years of development so they can grow up to be healthy, happy adults,” he noted.
HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson announced these awards during the HRSA’s Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative event at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. This initiative brought together mothers, infants, and community leaders to advance the goals of the White House Blueprint.
The home visiting program, backed by this funding, will enable states, jurisdictions, and tribal entities to create and implement programs tailored to their communities’ needs. Families can choose to participate from pregnancy through kindergarten, partnering with professionals to achieve better physical, social, and emotional health outcomes. Benefits of the program include improved school readiness, enhanced health for women, increased health insurance coverage, and reduced rates of child injuries, abuse, and neglect.
This substantial infusion of resources underlines the federal commitment to transforming maternal health care in the United States, providing vital support to mothers and families and fostering healthier communities across the nation.
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