Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell recently announced the latest round of competitive and formula grant awards that will support states, territories, and nonprofit organizations in their implementation of home visiting programs. These, fiscal year 2015 investments, amount to $386 million. The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program has a proven record of success for supporting families throughout the country. But, there is one problem: Congress has delayed the program’s reauthorization, and MIECHV is set to expire on March 31st. Advocates have taken to Twitter to encourage people to reach out to Congressional leaders and let them know how important funding for home visiting is.
Established by Congress in 2010, MIECHV has supported pregnant women and at-risk families with children from birth through five in diverse communities nationwide. Through home visiting, families are visited by trained professionals such as social workers, nurses, and parent educators. Parents receive intensive coaching on the best ways to promote their child’s healthy development through the creation of a positive and nurturing environment.
My colleague, Shayna Cook, reported on a signal of support from the President– he requested $500 million for the expansion and extension of MIECHV in his fiscal year 2016 budget proposal. However, bipartisan support in the Congress is needed to achieve reauthorization.
A new report released by The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and the Center for American Program (CAP), documenting states’ use of federal funding for home visiting programs, provides greater leverage for advocacy organizations in their quest to move Congress towards long-term program sustainability — or at least further extension of the program.