Families of young children in rural areas often face specific barriers, including limited economic opportunities and access to care, which interfere with healthy development. A two-generation approach that meets the needs of children and families together is key to overcoming these challenges.
Building on the Rural IMPACT Demonstration project, HRSA developed the Rural Health IMPACT program in 2018 to:
- Ensure rural children and their families have access to high-quality health, development, education, and family support services that work together as a coordinated system
- Improve early identification of and intervention for families who have experienced or are at-risk for adverse childhood experiences
- Implement two-generational strategies that effectively link children and their families to services to: a) encourage children’s healthy development; and b) help families overcome barriers to achieving economic security and self-sufficiency
In 2018 HRSA awarded $600,000 per year for five years to West Virginia University Research Corporation to implement Impact WV. The award recipient selected a specific focus on the needs of infants with prenatal substance exposure or Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and their families, with demonstration sites in West Virginia. This project includes the creation of a clearinghouse of resources for service providers, other professionals, and families.