Skip to Main Content

Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting in Maryland

The Maryland Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), in partnership with the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).  These federal dollars fund states, territories, and tribal entities to develop and implement evidence-based, voluntary family support programs that best meet the needs of their communities.   
 

Federal Home Visiting Legislation 

In 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) established a new program under Title V-Section 511 entitled the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. MIECHV serves at risk communities and families by:
●      strengthening programs and activities carried out under Title V;
●      improving coordination of services for at-risk communities; and
●      providing comprehensive services to improve outcomes for families residing in at-risk communities.
 
Funding granted to states through formula and competitive grants must be allocated to the communities at highest risk, as identified through a comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment. These grants may only support evidence-based home visiting programs that meet specific federal criteria. States may opt to allocate up to 25% of funding for "promising" home visiting models that do not meet federal criteria, but such programs must be rigorously evaluated to become evidence-based.
 
Federally Approved Home Visiting Models
As of 2018, HRSA and the ACF have identified 20 programs that meet federal evidence-based criteria. A full list may be found here. To assure that these models are faithfully replicated, states must obtain letters of agreement/approval from the developers of any model selected.
 
Five evidence-based home visiting programs are in use in Maryland: Nurse-Family Partnership, Healthy Families America, Parents as Teachers, Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), and Early Head Start. More can be read about these programs here. Maryland MIECHV supports 18 home visiting sites that utilize two programs: Healthy Families America and Nurse-Family Partnership.
 
Maryland MIECHV Funding
Maryland receives MIECHV support through federal formula funding and competitive grants. Between 2010 and 2017, Maryland has been awarded $19.9 million in formula grants and $21.45 million in competitive funding, allowing for the expansion of home visiting programs statewide..
 
Formula funding is allocated to six jurisdictions in Maryland with communities that meet the highest need for maternal and child intervention: Baltimore City and Dorchester, Prince George’s, Somerset, Washington, and Wicomico Counties (Tier 1 communities). Competitive funds further expand home visiting in Maryland to at-risk communities within Allegany, Baltimore, Caroline and Harford Counties, plus provide additional funds to five of the six Tier 1 jurisdictions. These communities are considered Tier 2, as illustrated in the chart below and as determined by a statewide needs assessment.
 
MIECHV Formula Funding
(Tier 1 communities only)
●      Baltimore City, Dorchester Co., Prince George’s Co., Somerset Co., Washington Co., Wicomico Co.
 
MIECHV Competitive Funding
(Tier 2 and some Tier 1)
●      Allegany Co., Baltimore City, Baltimore Co., Caroline Co., Dorchester Co., Harford Co., Prince George’s Co., Washington Co., Wicomico Co.
 
 
For more information about home visiting in Maryland or the MIECHV grant, please call 410-767-6753.
 
 
August 2017