FAQ: Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program

Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-26-091

Purpose

These Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) serve as a resource for MIECHV awardees in developing applications in response to the FY 2026 (FY26) Non-Competing Continuation Update. Awardees are advised to fully read the FY26 NCC Update (PDF - 643 KB) in its entirety for complete information.

Additional resources

  • Technical Assistance Webinar – A recording of the February 10, 2026, webinar outlining instructions and helpful hints to avoid common pitfalls.
  • Technical Assistance (TA) Resources – Awardees may use optional TA resources and the EHBs Applicant User Guide to assist in filling out required attachments in the application. Awardees should have received the full set of optional TA resources in the communications on or around January 21, 2026. Awardees can also connect directly with their HRSA Project Officers over the phone to discuss any questions or consider options for responding to the FY26 NCC Update.
  • Budget Narrative Sample and Budget Narrative Example – Awardees may use the optional budget narrative and budget narrative sample to assist in filing out the required sections on EHBs.
  • Matching Funds FAQs – Awardees can find a list of FAQs about matching funds on the MIECHV Reauthorization webpage.

On this page:

Funding and eligibility 
Application submission 
Project narrative 
Budget 
Other

Funding and eligibility

How much total funding is available for FY26 MIECHV Base and Matching Grant Awards? Who is eligible to apply?

Approximately $538 million in total funding is available for FY26 MIECHV Base, Matching, and Additional Matching funds.

Eligible applicants include the 56 eligible entities that currently receive FY 2025 (FY25) MIECHV formula funding to continue to deliver and expand coordinated and comprehensive high-quality and voluntary early childhood home visiting services to eligible families. Nonprofit organizations that provide services in states or jurisdictions that did not apply for and receive MIECHV Program – Base Grant Award funding in FY25 are also eligible to apply in FY26 so long as the state, territory, or jurisdiction funded in FY25 continues not to apply under this funding opportunity.

How were award ceiling amounts calculated?

In accordance with the Social Security Act, Title V, § 511(c)(4), as amended by Section 6101 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328), the following formula was applied to FY26 funding available to states, nonprofit organizations, and territories:

Base Funding – Per statute, the Base funds that awardees receive will remain stable each year based on the statutory formula for such funds, subject to the availability of appropriations. We calculated the Base funding according to each state or jurisdiction’s share of children under the age of 5. We used the most recent U.S. Census data available before FY 2023 (FY23) to determine this share.1  2 To maintain stability, the total amount for which an applicant may apply was adjusted when appropriate to ensure that any available recipient funding does not fluctuate by more than 10% from each awardee’s FY 2021 (FY21) award. There is a $1.0 million minimum Base amount awarded to recipients.

Matching Funding – Matching fund allocations are determined by each awardee’s share of children under age five whose families have incomes below the poverty line, using the most recent U.S. Census data. Matching funding amounts are based on a statutory formula that sets a maximum federal matching allocation, which increases each fiscal year.

Applicants must meet the Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirements to be eligible to receive Base funds. Applicants must also meet the MOE requirements and obligate non-federal matching funds to be eligible to receive federal Matching funds. See the MIECHV Reauthorization webpage for more information on MOE requirements.

What is sequestration of the federal budget? What would happen if MIECHV funds were sequestered? How much is sequestration for FY26?

Sequestration is a budget enforcement tool Congress uses to reduce federal spending in order to meet established budget ceiling amounts. Typically, reductions are applied in a uniform percentage to appropriations annually and may vary from year-to-year. Sequestration applies to FY26 appropriations; the Base and Matching grant allocations were reduced by 5.7% to reflect funding availability. These reductions are already reflected in FY26 grant award ceilings provided to awardees.

How much in funding can eligible entities request?

Eligible entities may not request more than the total Base grant award ceiling for their state or jurisdiction and may choose to request less. For Matching grants, eligible entities may request any amount up to the full allocation, commensurate with their available qualifying non-federal funds. Award ceiling amounts for each eligible entity were sent via the EHBs to MIECHV Program Directors and Authorizing Officials on or around January 21, 2026.

Base and Matching fund award amounts vary by state or jurisdiction, as determined by statutory formulas.

You must demonstrate that you will meet the requirements outlined in the FY26 NCC Update with respect to obligations of non-federal and federal funds. You are not required to apply for Matching funds. Applicants that apply for Matching funds but contribute less than the full minimum in non-federal funds will see further adjustments to their federal Matching funds award reflecting their reduced contribution.

Do I need to contribute non-federal funds if I want to apply for additional Matching funds?

Yes, you will need to contribute non-federal funds that correspond to the amount of federal funds they plan to apply for (up to the combined match and additional match ceiling amounts provided by HRSA). HRSA will contribute $3 for every $1 contributed in non-federal funds, up to the combined ceiling amount.

When will awards be issued?

HRSA expects to issue Notices of Award prior to the project period start date of September 30, 2026.

What dates are the period of performance?

The period of performance, also called the project period, extends from September 30, 2026 to September 29, 2028.

Application submission

Where can I obtain a copy of the FY26 NCC Update?

The FY26 NCC Update (PDF - 643 KB) is accessible on the main MIECHV webpage and via EHBs.

When are applications due? 

The application deadline is Monday, April 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. HRSA suggests submitting applications at least three business days before the deadline to allow for any unforeseen circumstances. Applications must be complete, within the specified 50-page limit, validated by EHBs under HRSA-26-091, and submitted prior to the deadline to be considered under this notice.

What is the activity code for this grant award?

The activity code for this grant is X10.

Project narrative

What are the current home visiting models eligible for MIECHV funding?

This year a total of 24 evidence-based models meet the Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE) criteria for early childhood home visiting service delivery models and are eligible for MIECHV funding: https://homvee.acf.hhs.gov/HRSA-Models-Eligible-MIECHV-Awardees.

What is in a complete FY26 NCC Update submission?

HRSA requires applicants to apply electronically through EHBs.

A complete submission includes four parts:

  1. The first is completion of a standard OMB form: SF-424 Instructions for Application for Federal Assistance.

The remaining parts of the application must be uploaded in the applicable EHBs section:

  1. FY26 Project Narrative
  2. FY26 Budget Narrative
  3. Attachments
    1. Note: There are three required attachments for all applications this year. All other attachments should be submitted only if applicable.

How should I report the number of participants served with non-federal funds identified for the match?

Awardees must provide an estimate of the number of participants served with the non-federal funds they used to qualify for the federal Match award with their FY25 MIECHV grant award.

Awardees must also provide the number of participants they plan to serve with the non-federal funds they have identified to qualify for the federal Match in the FY26 NCC Update grant application.

If the non-federal funds identified provide direct services to support a caseload of families served, awardees must report the total number of participants (adults and index children) served or anticipated to be served. If this information is not available, awardees need to develop an estimate. Awardees may consider using data available in state data systems, caseloads identified in contracts or by local implementing agencies (LIAs), or data from other sources. 

If the non-federal funds identified do not directly support families being served, and rather support administrative activities or infrastructure for home visiting programs, awardees need to calculate a proportion of the home visitor caseload those activities are supporting and project the number of participants (adults and index children) anticipated to be served during the reporting period.

One method is to divide the amount of non-federal funds identified by the cost per participant for providing home visiting services. The cost per participant may be the cost for a single model or may be averaged across the models used in a state.

Example: A state’s Department of Health commits $1,000,000 annually to state general funds for home visiting services, with an average cost of $2,000 per participant. Of that $1,000,000, an awardee has identified $500,000 to be committed as non-federal funds for the purposes of meeting the matching grant requirement, as reported in their FY25 MIECHV funding application.

The $500,000 in state general funds can be divided by the average cost per participant for providing home visiting. Since the $500,000 in state general funds divided by $2000 is 250, the awardee may estimate 250 participants were supported with the $500,000 they identified to be committed as non-federal funds.

Another method to consider is to use the proportion of non-federal matching funds to estimate a proportionate share of the total number of participants served.

Example: If the non-federal dollars are 15% of the total amount spent on home visiting by the state for 1,000 participants, then 150 participants could be counted as being served by non-federal dollars. 

HRSA offers awardees the flexibility to estimate the number of participants served or the number of participants an awardee plans to serve based on available data. In either of these cases, awardees must provide a description of their method for developing estimates.

Awardees can also connect directly with their HRSA Project Officers to discuss any questions.

*Note – territory awardees that requested a waiver of non-federal funds to obtain the match should report zero families served with non-federal funds.

What if my non-federal match is obligated on a state fiscal year basis and starts a few months before the period of performance?

As long as your non-federal funds are obligated in the same two-year period of performance as the MIECHV award, they do not have to cover the entire period of performance (9/30/2026 – 9/29/2028).

How do I submit my required program expectations and assurances outlined in the Project Narrative?

In the FY25 NCC application, we asked awardees to provide a written response for each assurance in their Project Narrative. Since this year's application is also an NCC Update, awardees will still see an optional Assurances Checklist to support responses to this section of the Project Narrative. This may be included as optional Attachment 7: Assurances Checklist.

How should I report my Maintenance of Effort amount in the FY26 NCC Update?

You are asked to assure that your FY26 MOE amount meets or exceeds your MOE amount from FY19 or FY1 (which were published in a Federal Register Notice on June 23, 2023), whichever is the lesser of the two. You must meet this MOE requirement to receive MIECHV funding in FY26. You can provide the MOE amount and your assurance directly in the Project Narrative or include it in the optional Attachment 7: Assurances Checklist.

What if I do not have an MOE amount?

If an awardee does not anticipate reporting an MOE amount, and did not report any MOE in FY19 or FY21, they can simply provide their assurance that their MOE amount meets or exceeds the lesser of the FY19 or FY21 amounts. (Awardees can confirm their MOE amount for FY 2019 (FY19) or FY21 in this Federal Register Notice published on June 23, 2023.)

If an awardee’s FY26 MOE amount does not meet or exceed the lesser of their MOE amounts from FY19 or FY21, they must provide an explanation of the circumstances leading to non-compliance, as well as any actions they have taken or plan to take to comply with the MOE requirement.

Can I apply for matching funds if my MOE amount is $0?

Yes. If there is no qualifying non-federal spending from FY19 or FY21, then there is no non-federal spending requirement to meet the MOE. In this case, the first dollar of non-federal funds spent can be applied to the non-federal matching contribution. See the Maintenance of Effort section on the MIECHV Reauthorization webpage for more information.

If I elect to implement a model enhancement, what do I need to submit in my application?

If awardees plan to use a new or continuing model enhancement implemented in alignment with a MIECHV-funded home visiting model, they should provide in their Project Narrative a summary of the enhancement(s) to be implemented, including which LIAs will use the enhancement(s) and any training that has been or will be completed. Awardees must provide documentation of model developer concurrence in Attachment 5: Documentation of Model Enhancement with their application for any new model enhancement since the submission of their FY25 MIECHV NCC Update application. Awardees that implement a continuing model enhancement but in a new community must indicate that in their Project Narrative but do not need to submit documentation of model developer concurrence. Otherwise, awardees should clearly state that they are not implementing a model enhancement.

If awardees plan to use a new or continuing model enhancement with a MIECHV-funded home visiting model, they should describe the enhancement(s), including the information in this section for each enhancement. For each enhancement, awardees should include:

  1. The proposed enhancement activities to be funded with the FY26 award and how the activities align with the scope of MIECHV
  2. The home visiting model that the enhancement(s) will support
  3. Which LIAs will use the enhancement(s) and how the enhancement(s) could change the LIA’s proposed caseload or eligibility of families
  4. Training that has been or will be provided
  5. A letter of concurrence from the model developer for new model enhancements (Attachment 5) showing that using the enhancement does not alter core components of the model; Attachment 5 is not required for continuing model enhancements

If I am planning to conduct virtual home visits, do I need to submit model developer concurrence in Attachment 5? What do I need to include in my application regarding virtual home visits?

If an awardee plans to conduct virtual home visits, they do not have to provide documentation of model developer concurrence in Attachment 5. Review Project Narrative Section 3k – Virtual Home Visiting and Appendix – Model Enhancements of the FY26 NCC Update for more information regarding virtual home visiting application requirements.

How did HRSA arrive at the 75% threshold for in-person visits?

HRSA is committed to promoting in-person visits in alignment with the evidence base for home visiting services. Statute allows home visiting programs to use virtual visits when they are in the best interest of the family and appropriate within the evidence-based model, but it maintains a commitment to in-person visits. Virtual visits should be used to extend appropriate flexibilities under limited circumstances, such as a declared public health emergency, geographic limitations, or client preference. Virtual visits are treated as a model enhancement unless a model using virtual visits has met HHS criteria for evidence of effectiveness through the HomVEE review.

HRSA took a data-informed approach to establishing a threshold for the percentage of in-person versus virtual home visits, aligning with statutory language and the value of in-person home visits. FY 2024 (FY24) awardee performance data that showed that over 80% of awardees were already conducting 75% or more visits in person. Recognizing a continued upward trend in awardee data around in-person visits, the threshold of 75% has been set as an attainable goal for the FY26 period of performance. We anticipate that this threshold may increase up to 85% in the next few years.

What attachments do I need to include in my application?

Attachments 1-3 are required for all applications. Attachments 4-6 are only required if applicable. Attachment 7 is optional. Awardees may include any other relevant documents as Attachments 8-15.

  • Attachment 1: (Required) Work Plan Timeline
  • Attachment 2: (Required) MIECHV Communities, Local Implementing Agencies, and Caseload of Family Slots
  • Attachment 3: (Required) Current Organizational Chart
  • Attachment 4: (Only if applicable) Indirect Cost Rate Agreement or Allocation Plan*
  • Attachment 5: (Only if applicable) Model Developer Documentation for Model Enhancements
  • Attachment 6: (Only if applicable) New or Revised Written Agreements
  • Attachment 7: (Optional) Assurances Checklist
  • Attachments 8-15:(Optional) Other Relevant Documents

* Does not count towards page limit.

Will the TA Resource Tables be made available again this year?

Yes. The FY26 NCC Update TA Resource Tables are available this year and were sent through EHBs on or around January 21, 2026.

Do I have to use the templates included in the TA Resource Tables?

No. The FY26 NCC Update TA Resource Tables are for optional use. Awardees can use templates of their own, if they wish, as long as they include the required information outlined in the FY26 NCC Update.

Budget

How should I budget for the All-Grantee Meeting?

As indicated in the FY26 NCC Update, awardees must budget for required MIECHV meetings, including the All-Grantee Meeting (AGM). We anticipate the next AGM to take place in calendar year 2027. Awardees must budget for at least one in-person meeting for up to five people for five days during the period of performance (once every two years). If an awardee wants to budget for more than five people to attend, they should consult with their HRSA Project Officer. If travel cannot be completed during the period of performance because of circumstances beyond their control, funds budgeted for travel may be re-budgeted.

How should I report the level of effort for home visitor personnel (for example, full-time equivalent) for contracted LIAs?

In the Contractual section of the Budget Narrative, a detailed level of effort for home visitor contract personnel is no longer required. For each contract currently planned, awardees should refer to the Budget Narrative section of the FY26 NCC Update. Each planned contract must include:

  1. The purpose of the contract, including which home visiting model(s) will be used and which communities will be served, if applicable.
  2. How the costs were estimated. Do not provide line-item details on proposed contracts. Instead, provide the basis for your cost estimate for the contract.
  3. The contract deliverables and how the contract relates to the overall project.

How should I report service delivery expenditures in my application?

Awardees are no longer required to report recipient-level infrastructure expenditures. They must continue to budget at least 75% of their federal award on service delivery activity expenditures (expenditures dedicated to providing or supporting targeted, intensive home visiting services to families in the MIECHV communities they currently or plan to serve).

Examples of service delivery activity expenditures include personnel, contracts, supplies, travel, equipment, rental, printing, and other costs. Additional examples can be found in the Glossary of Selected Terms (Appendix B) of the FY24 MIECHV Program NOFO (PDF - 685 KB).

Awardees only need to ensure the proposed budget reflects plans to allocate at least 75% of funding toward service delivery activity expenditures in alignment with their Project Narrative. There is no requirement to separately identify or track and report on service delivery expenditures.

Does the 75% service delivery activity expenditure requirement apply to both non-federal and federal matching funds?

No, all of the same MIECHV Program requirements for Base funds also apply to federal Matching funds, but they do not apply to non-federal Matching funds. Unless you have prior approval from HRSA, you must plan to use at least 75% of MIECHV Base and federal Matching funds awarded for service delivery activity expenditures to deliver targeted and intensive evidence-based home visiting services.

The following statutory requirements for non-federal matching funds apply and are outlined in the definition of non-federal funds used to quality as matching funds:

  • Implementation of service models meeting HHS criteria for evidence of effectiveness (or up to 25% used for implementing and evaluating promising approaches),
  • Providing targeted, intensive home visiting services to eligible families, and
  • Prioritizing services to high-risk populations.

In the past, contracts with subrecipients for TA/supports for LIAs were excluded from the 25% infrastructure ceiling. Does this mean that they are included in the 75% service delivery activity expenditures definition?

The definition for service delivery activity expenditures has not changed. Costs that were previously defined as “service delivery” (as opposed to “recipient-level infrastructure”) remain as service delivery activity expenditures.

How do I report my administrative costs?

Beginning with the FY25 awards, MIECHV administrative costs are defined as administrative indirect costs and exclude direct costs. To simplify applications and reduce burden, awardees should report planned indirect costs based on their indirect cost rate in the Budget Narrative and SF-424A. HRSA will review the budgeted administrative indirect costs, to confirm that total indirect costs do not exceed 10% of the total award, unless the awardee has requested and qualified for an exception. HRSA Project Officers will follow up directly with awardees with any questions.

Awardees do not need to submit a separate detailed line-item breakdown and description of activities for administrative costs in their budget narrative. Awardees do not need to define or identify administrative costs and activities in their FY26 NCC Update application.

How can I request an exception to the 10% limit of funding expended on administrative costs?

Statute has defined a 10% limit on funds used to cover the costs of administration and allows for an exception for up to a 15% limit if an awardee meets at least one of three possible criteria: 1) directly provides home visits to eligible families without a subrecipient; 2) is in the process of expanding to new communities identified through the needs assessment; or 3) is new to administering the MIECHV award within the past three years.

If an awardee anticipates incurring administrative costs greater than 10% of the total award, meets at least one of the three criteria above, and wishes to request an exception to the limit on administrative costs, the awardee must explicitly describe why they are requesting an exception in the Budget Narrative. Only a brief description of the request and qualifying criteria is required.

Example: An awardee’s response could be, “Our federally negotiated and approved indirect cost rate is 20.2% of salaries and fringe benefits. Our indirect cost rate agreement has been attached as Attachment 4. Exception Request: We are requesting an exception to the limit on administrative costs to allow for 11% total administrative costs on this award. This exception is requested as we are beginning the process of expanding to new communities identified through our needs assessment, and we have budgeted additional personnel time for increased administrative activities to support the program as we undertake this work.”

Do I need to use the Budget Narrative Sample? What level of detail needs to be included in the Budget Narrative?

No, the Budget Narrative Sample and examples are not required forms and rather are additional TA resources to assist awardees. These are entirely optional and provide general examples and potential formats to capture required budgetary information.

Awardees must provide in the Budget Narrative the required level of detail outlined in the Budget section of the FY26 NCC Update instructions.

Other

How can I propose caseloads for year one and year two when I might be getting a significant amount of matching funds? Can I take some time to identify the community and model?

Awardees should propose their caseloads for year one and year two in a similar manner as in the Budget Narrative. Use the best estimate assuming stable Base funding and anticipated Matching funds for FY26 and FY 2027 (FY27). Awardees may request revisions to their maximum service capacity should there be changes in future funding.

Awardees can spend time during the FY26 project period to identify the community(ies) and model(s) to implement. The FY26 NCC Update guidance provides flexibility for awardees to work with MIECHV communities to determine readiness, develop capacity, and select an evidence-based model(s), in alignment with model fidelity. These pre-implementation activities can be considered part of the awardees’ non-service delivery activity expenditures. Community readiness work is also in alignment with the MIECHV Program’s focus on early childhood systems building and development. In the Project Narrative Section 3d – New Communities, awardees will describe their activities for implementing evidence-based home visiting in new communities. Awardees can detail how they intend to establish, expand, and scale services in the state to meet the needs of communities identified in the statewide needs assessment, including the timeframe for anticipated ramp-up of service delivery and when each LIA expects to reach maximum service capacity.

Is there a statutory requirement to update MIECHV needs assessments?

The most recent reauthorization of the MIECHV Program in 2022 did not have a statutory requirement to update the MIECHV needs assessment. The most recent needs assessment update was outlined in the 2018 reauthorization of the MIECHV Program.

Awardees were provided an opportunity to add additional at-risk communities to their needs assessments prior to the FY25 NCC Update application.

Date Last Reviewed: