Supporting State Maternal and Child Health Policy Innovation Program (MCH PIP)

MCH PIP supports state-level policymakers and MCH officials to come up with new ways to improve access to quality health care for MCH populations. Then, it helps them put those ideas into practice.

Our awardees

We funded these four awardees through a cooperative agreement that began on May 1, 2018, and ended on April 30, 2024:

• Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP)
• Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
• National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP)
• National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)

These awardees are national organizations that speak on behalf of state-level policymakers and MCH officials.

Our investments spur improvements

Awardee organizations provide expert advice and resources to their members, including state-level legislators, policymakers, and health officials. They develop policy briefs, track legislation, and host national webinars. They also form learning communities where maternal and child health (MCH) leaders share best practices and proven methods to create policy solutions.

These learning communities worked to identify, develop, and carry out policy solutions:

• Promoting Innovation in State & Territorial MCH Policymaking (PRISM) Project
  AMCHP and ASTHO worked with state and territorial teams to address substance misuse, addiction, and mental health disorders. They focused on promoting equity in access to services. PRISM supported nine jurisdictions across two cohorts that included eight states and one U.S. territory.
• National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP)’s Policy Academy
  NASHP conducted three policy academies with state teams. These teams included representatives from state Medicaid agencies, public health agencies, and mental health and substance use agencies.
  • Cohort one focused on improving access to care for pregnant and parenting people with substance use disorders and mental health conditions.
  • Cohort two focused on policy innovations for addressing maternal mortality among Medicaid-eligible pregnant and parenting women.
  • Cohort three was an alumni academy cohort focused on addressing the factors beyond clinical care that affect health during the perinatal period.
• Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Fellows Program
  NCSL supported four cohorts of legislators and legislative staff who are experienced or emerging leaders in MCH to develop legislation specific to their state’s particular needs. Across the four cohorts, 102 members representing 42 states and one U.S. territory participated in the MCH fellows’ program.

Funding details

The archived Notice of Funding Opportunity HRSA-18-086 provides information about the FY18 five-year cooperative agreement. We extended this MCH PIP, and it ended on April 30, 2024.

MCH PIP national resources

We designed the MCH PIP to give awardees flexibility to help their members. Awardees were member organizations. Those organizations worked with their members who were officials and policymakers at the state level. They addressed the needs of their states and communities. All PIP awardees produced nationally relevant resources, expertise, and opportunities for collaboration.

A sample of our 2018 – 2024 awardee-produced resources:

Webinars:

• Making the Call for MCH: Exploring the Maternal Mental Health Hotline and the 988 Crisis Lifeline - AMCHP
• Children’s Mental Health and Learning: Assessing COVID-19 Impacts and Looking Ahead - NCSL
• Improving Access to Maternal Health Care in Rural Communities - NCSL

Blogs:

• Supporting Positive Mental Health Through Food Security and Good Nutrition - ASTHO
• The 2023 Perinatal Behavioral Health Policy Landscape - AMCHP
• School-Based Strategies are Crucial to Supporting Adolescent Girls ’Mental Health - ASHTO

Legislative and Policy Trackers:

• Medicaid Reimbursement for Home Visiting Services - NASHP
• Maternal and Child Health Bill Tracker - AMCHP
• State Medicaid Approaches to Doula Service Benefits - NASHP

Briefs:

• Supporting Mom’s Health in the Postpartum Period - NCSL
• Utilizing Doula Care to Support Substance Use Disorder in the Postpartum Period - ASTHO (PDF - 133 KB)
• Improving Birthing Outcomes Through Midwifery Care: New Mexico - NASHP

Case Studies:

• Texas Improves Access to Routine Oral Health Services for Very Young Children - NASHP
• Connecticut and Pennsylvania’s Approaches to Maternity-Focused Value-Based Payment Models - NASHP

Contact us

Maura Dwyer, Dr.P.H., M.P.H.
MCH PIP Project Officer