Project Grant X1053617

MATERNAL, INFANT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD HOMEVISITING GRANT PROGRAM - ADDRESS: 55 NORTH WILLOW STREET TRENTON, NJ 08608-1203 PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME: SARAH BILYJ MBA, BSN, RN CONTACT PHONE NUMBER: 609-913-5473 EMAIL ADDRESS: SARAH.BILYJ@DOH,NJ.GOV WEBSITE ADDRESS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH | FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES (NJ.GOV) LIST ALL GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED IN THE APPLICATION: $13,440,220 ANNOTATION: THE MIECHV PROGRAM PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN PROVIDING TARGETED EVIDENCE-BASED HOME VISITING (EBHV) SUPPORT TO AT-RISK FAMILIES IN NJ. PROBLEM: NJ FACES SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES IN MATERNAL AND INFANT HEALTH, HIGHLIGHTED BY TROUBLING RACIAL DISPARITIES IN MORTALITY RATES. FROM 2016 TO 2018, THE STATEWIDE PREGNANCY-RELATED MORTALITY RATIO AVERAGED 14.8 DEATHS PER 100,000 LIVE BIRTHS, WITH BLACK, NON-HISPANIC WOMEN SIX TIMES MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE A PREGNANCY-RELATED DEATH THAN THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS. ADDITIONALLY, IN 2021, NJ RECORDED AN INFANT MORTALITY RATE OF 3.4 DEATHS PER 1,000 LIVE BIRTHS, WITH BLACK, NON-HISPANIC WOMEN EXPERIENCING A RATE NEARLY FOUR TIMES HIGHER THAN WHITE, NON-HISPANIC WOMEN. PURPOSE: NJDOH IS COMMITTED TO ENDING PREVENTABLE MORBIDITY, MORTALITY, AND RACIAL DISPARITIES IN MATERNITY CARE AND IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR MOTHERS AND FAMILIES. NJDOH CONTINUES TO OFFER MIECHV SERVICES TO AT-RISK FAMILIES, PROVIDING AT-HOME INFORMATION, SUPPORT, AND LINKAGES TO PRENATAL CARE AND SOCIAL SERVICES. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: THE FY2024 MIECHV PROJECT AIMS TO BUILD STATE/LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURES FOR COORDINATED MATERNAL AND EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND INCREASE THE CAPACITY AND POSITIVE IMPACTS OF HOME VISITING SERVICES. OBJECTIVES INCLUDE IMPROVING REFERRAL COMPLETION RATES, SHARING INFORMATION QUARTERLY, DEVELOPING DATA AGREEMENTS, CONDUCTING WORKFORCE EVALUATIONS, CONVENING QUALITY IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS, AND ACHIEVING PERFORMANCE BENCHMARK MEASURES. APPROACH: THREE EBHV PROGRAMS, HEALTHY FAMILIES AMERICA, PARENTS AS TEACHERS, AND NURSE-FAMILY PARTNERSHIP, WILL BE IMPLEMENTED TARGETING 15 OF THE 21 AT-RISK COUNTIES IDENTIFIED IN THE FY2020 NEEDS ASSESSMENT. THE PROPOSED MAXIMUM SERVICE CAPACITY WILL BE 1,811 FAMILIES.