ADH receives $6.2 million

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has received a $6.2 million and $1.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Maternal and Child Health Bureau, to provide evidenced based home visiting services for communities with high concentrations of mother and child health issues such as premature and low birth weight births, poverty and child abuse. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the grants are designed to help at-risk families voluntarily receive home visits from nurses and social workers to improve maternal and child health, child development, school readiness, economic self-sufficiency and child abuse prevention.

Dr. Paul Halverson, ADH director and state health officer, said, “This is a great day for families in Arkansas. Times are tough, and some of our state’s moms and babies need some additional care and support. One-on-one home visits from a health professional can mean a big difference in the health and quality of life for many of these children. Arkansas is one of 49 states to receive this home visiting grant. This grant will continue the development of the Arkansas Nurse-Family Partnership home visiting model in six counties (Crittenden, Lee, Mississippi, Monroe, Philips and St. Francis) and allow for expansion into a seventh (Jefferson County).”

Halverson said, “We are proud to be in the company of eight other states that received ‘expansion grants for home visiting’. It is our understanding that we were chosen because Arkansas has already made significant progress towards implementing high-quality home visiting programs and the expansion grant will help bring us closer to a comprehensive early childhood system. Our state and others will serve as a model for what these types of programs can do for our Nation’s families.”

Dr. Jonathan Bates, President and CEO of Arkansas Children’s Hospital said, “This is an outstanding example of the collaboration among state agencies, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and private providers to give families the support needed to make a positive start in life. This is the Natural Wonders Partnership at its best.”

As evidenced by the award of these grants, the Department of Health and its partners including Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Arkansas Children’s Trust Fund, Centers for Youth and Families, HIPPY and Parents as Teachers have proven to be a seasoned providers of high quality home visiting programs and are well-positioned to provide the leadership and collaboration necessary to make a real lifelong difference for Arkansas families.

As part of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program, these grants are funded by the Affordable Care Act and are awarded to state agencies that applied for the grants in 49 states across the country.

According to HRSA, research has shown that home visiting programs can improve outcomes for children and families, including improving maternal and child health, reducing child maltreatment, increasing parental employment, and improving the rate at which children reach developmental milestones.

Arkansas lags behind the nation in terms of infant deaths, pre-term birth, women and children in poverty, and the general health of newborns and their mothers.

Formula grant awards totaling $124 million were awarded to 55 eligible agencies including 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and America Samoa.

A total of $100 million in competitive funding was awarded to those states that have sufficiently demonstrated the interest and capacity to expand and/or to enhance the development of their home visiting efforts.

o Expansion Grants: Approximately $66 million was awarded to nine states and jurisdictions
o Development Grants: Approximately $34 million was awarded to 13 states and jurisdictions that currently have modest home visiting programs and want to build on existing efforts. States that successfully complete development grants can compete for future expansion grants.

A comprehensive evaluation is included to assess the effectiveness of services, network development, participant outcomes and innovative practice.

Lists of grant awardees are available at: http://www.hrsa.gov/about/news/2011tables/110922homevisiting.html

For more information on HRSA’s MIECHV program, please visit mchb.hrsa.gov/programs/homevisiting/.

To learn more about the Affordable Care Act, visit www.HealthCare.gov.