Funding supports White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis; Coincides with HRSA’s Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative Convening in Kentucky
Today, Carole Johnson, Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, visited Kentucky for a convening of HRSA-funded organizations and announced that Kentucky is eligible this year for $8.1 million in federal funding for the HRSA Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program, an evidence-based initiative providing direct in-home services to expectant families and families with young children across Kentucky.
This year’s funding represents an increase of nearly $1 million per year to Kentucky for home visiting since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration. President Biden signed legislation significantly increasing funding for home visiting in December 2022, and as a result federal funds available to Kentucky will continue to grow over the next several years.
“At the Health Resources and Services Administration, we take President Biden’s charge to make families a priority very seriously,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “That is why we have worked closely with Congress to grow the home visiting program and make sure more families in Kentucky and across the country have every opportunity to thrive. We are delighted to be in Kentucky this week to highlight the incredible work community leaders across the state are doing in partnership with HRSA.”
Home visiting is an evidence-based strategy for providing expectant and new parents who choose to participate with high-touch, in-home supports and visits to help guide and assist them with becoming a new parent. It also provides essential connections for families to needed services. Home visiting emphasizes strong communication between parents and children that promotes early language development; assists with important topics for new parents like safe sleep, breastfeeding, and nutrition; and helps address family needs such as screening for developmental delays and introduction of early intervention services. Home visiting has been demonstrated to help improve maternal and child health, promote child development, and school readiness, and prevent child abuse and neglect.
Kentucky home visitors joining Administrator Johnson at the HRSA National Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative roundtable in downtown Louisville include those from home visiting programs in Oldham County and Jefferson County. HRSA’s convening is an opportunity for HRSA grantees and partners in Kentucky to continue to work together to address preventable maternal and infant mortality and provide critical supports to help ensure the health and well-being of Kentucky families.
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program is part of HRSA’s comprehensive work to advance maternal health outcomes. HRSA’s Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative is focused on accelerating HRSA’s maternal health work to address maternal mortality and maternal health disparities in partnership with women, grant recipients, community organizations, and state and local health officials across the country.
To date, HRSA has hosted the following state convenings:
- In January 2024, HRSA launched the Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative in Washington, DC, joined by Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, to strengthen, expand, and accelerate HRSA’s maternal health work to address maternal mortality and maternal health disparities in partnership with mothers, grantees, community organizations, and state and local health officials across the country.
- In April 2024, HRSA hosted state convenings in St. Louis, Missouri (April 3), and Atlanta, Georgia (April 29), announcing $105 million in Healthy Start funding to support more than 100 community-based organizations in communities with high disparities to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
- In June 2024, HRSA hosted state convenings in Flagstaff, Arizona (June 3) announcing $15 million to address maternal health needs and disparities in rural communities, and Bozeman, Montana (June 11), announcing the state’s eligibility this year for $5.4 million in federal funding for the HRSA Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program, an evidence-based initiative providing direct in-home services to expectant families and families with young children. Later in the month, HRSA awarded more than $11 million to 15 organizations to establish new residency programs in rural communities, including the first obstetrics and gynecology Rural Track Program.
- In July 2024, HRSA hosted a state convening in Baltimore, MD (July 31), announcing more than $68 million in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funding to support and advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy by providing family-centered medical care and essential support services for women with low incomes, infants, children, and youth with HIV.
- In September 2023, HRSA hosted a state convening in Raleigh, North Carolina, announcing nearly $90 million in awards to combat maternal mortality and improve maternal health, particularly in underserved communities.