Supporting maternal and child health innovation in states - description: ncsl's proposed project will support state legislators and legislative staff with technical assistance (TA) and education to…

Supporting maternal and child health innovation in states - description: ncsl's proposed project will support state legislators and legislative staff with technical assistance (TA) and education to build the capacity of state legislators to develop, implement and evaluate innovative state-level policy initiatives that improve outcomes and reduce associated health disparities for maternal and child health (MCH) populations. Ncsl will engage state legislators in collaborative activities to fulfill the program's goals: 1) increase the capacity of legislators and legislative staff to leverage policy information to improve outcomes, reduce drivers of health disparities in MCH, address mchb priority topics, and respond to emerging issues for MCH populations; 2) increase state legislative activity developed to address social determinants of health for MCH populations; and 3) increase collaboration with award recipients of MCH PIP, noslo and other programs to leverage training, TA and information and data sharing. Need: state legislatures play a critical role in ensuring the health and safety of populations, including MCH. They are key decision-makers in addressing persistent state policy challenges, such as under-resourced and/or fragmented programs, workforce shortages, and health disparities, as well as emerging health threats such as congenital syphilis and declining childhood immunization rates. As the policymaking and appropriations branch of state government, legislatures develop and fund public health programs, support data collection and resource allocation toward populations experiencing disparities. Legislators need evidence-based information from trusted sources to make informed policy decisions that impact MCH populations. They benefit substantially from ncsl's information services, including networking with colleagues and key stakeholders from other states, including executive branch officials, coming together to collaborate on improving MCH outcomes and health disparities. Proposed services: t o accomplish its overall purpose, the project will undertake numerous activities and services with a focus on addressing 1) social determinants of health and health disparities, and 2) other priority MCH topics identified by ncsl members, mchb, and other stakeholders. Proposed activities include: MCH policy fellows program (Y1 and Y2); multi-state policy collaborative (Y3); several multi-media resources; legislative tracking in ncsl's MCH database; and in-person/virtual TA. The MCH fellows program will engage up to 20 legislators from at least 6 states for a learning community that includes up to 2 webinars, 2 in-person convenings, responsive TA, action plan development and follow-up, and more. Population served: the target population for ncsl's project is the 7,386 state legislators and thousands of legislative staff, with a special focus on the 3,000 legislators and legislative staff who serve on or staff health-focused committees. Collaborative activities among PIP partners may also include state health officials, agency leaders, private sector partners, among others. Project activities will also have nationwide impact, reaching all 50 states and the U.S. Territories, through various services.