PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has received more than $440 million in federal funding to expand the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV).
HRSA Administrator Carol Johnson said Arizona is receiving $12 million for MIECHV.
“This is a big investment for the state of Arizona,” Johnson said. “This is a really important program. We know from research that it works, and we're really excited to be able to put more funding into our communities, your communities, and reach more families.”
The nationwide program, launched 10 years ago, targets at-risk communities, such as rural and Indigenous towns, where premature births, infant mortality, poverty and crime are common.
“This is truly a game changer,” Johnson said.
Through the program, the Arizona Department of Health Services works with local organizations to provide home visiting services for pregnant women and young families by nurses, social workers and other trained professionals.
Johnson said families are asked to volunteer for the program, which offers support with breastfeeding, safe baby sleep techniques, overall health for mothers and babies and early childhood development.
“We connect your child to child development screenings. We identify issues early. We work to get your child reading and hearing lots of complex words early on to address their language development. And those are real indicators of how a home visit can make a difference in school readiness and success in school,” she said.
Two years ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to double funding for the program over five years.
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