Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant

The Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant Program is a partnership between the federal government and states. Our goal is to support the health and well-being of all mothers, children, and families.

How Does This Grant Help Mothers and Children?

Since 1935, the Social Security Act has provided funding for the Title V MCH Block Grant. HRSA administers the grants to states.

Funds from the Title V MCH Block Grant help:

• Assure access to quality maternal and child health care services to mothers and children, especially those with low incomes or limited availability of care
• Reduce infant mortality
• Provide access to prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care to women, especially pregnant women who are low income and at-risk
• Increase regular screenings and follow-up diagnostic and treatment services for children who are low income
• Provide access to preventive and primary care services for children who are low income and rehabilitative services for children with special health needs
• Implement family-centered, community-based, systems of coordinated care for children with special health care needs
• Set up toll-free hotlines and assistance with applying for services to pregnant women with infants and children eligible for Medicaid

Who Do We Fund?

Funding is limited to states and jurisdictions. In 2021, we funded 59 U.S. states and jurisdictions to provide access to health care and public health services for an estimated 60 million people.

This grant helped provide services for:

• 92% of all pregnant women
• 98% of infants
• 58% of children nationwide, including children with special health care needs

States and jurisdictions must match every $4 of federal Title V money they receive by at least $3.

How Do We Measure Impact?

The MCH Block Grant Program gives states flexibility in meeting the unique health needs of their children and families.

A three-level performance measure framework assures that states report data on progress and results annually within their Application/Annual Report. The performance measure framework includes outcome measures, performance measures, and strategy measures.

Each state and jurisdiction conducts a comprehensive Needs Assessment, as required by law, every five years. This assessment helps each state to:

• Determine priorities
• Target funds to address priorities
• Report annually on progress

States also develop a five-year State Action Plan that describes proven methods and measures to address these priorities and meet their unique needs.

Information and data from the Applications/Annual Reports are available on the Title V Information System (TVIS). The TVIS features state-reported financial, performance, and program data, as well as State Snapshots for all states, and a National Snapshot (PDF).

Detailed outcome and performance measure data are available in the Federally Available Data (FAD) Resource document found on our TVIS Resource page.

What Resources Do We Provide Our Grantees?

To assist states in improving their performance, MCHB provides training, technical assistance, and education for states through MCH Resource Centers including:

• Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP)
• CityMatCH
• State Oversampling in the National Survey of Children's Health
• Video on the History, Purpose, and Administration of the Title V MCH Block Grant

How To Contact Us

• Christopher Dykton, Deputy Director, Division of State and Community Health
• Title V Contacts for Regional Offices

Additional Information

• Authorizing legislation for Title V
• MCH Block Grant Guidance (PDF) and MCH Block Grant Guidance Appendix of Supporting Documents (PDF)
• Annually, we recognize an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of maternal and child health over a sustained period through our Title V Lifetime Achievement Award.