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Michigan Receives $10.5 Million in Federal Funding for Home Visiting Program

For Immediate Release:  September 30, 2011

 

LANSING - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program $8.4 million in grant funding for federal fiscal year 2011. Of that, there is more than $5.3 million in competitive grant funds and more than $3 million in formula grant funding. Combined with the federal fiscal year 2010 funding, Michigan's total grant award for home visiting totals more than $10.5 million.

 

"These grants will be instrumental in expanding home visiting programs in several at-risk communities and for building the state infrastructure to enable these programs to provide quality services," said Olga Dazzo, Director of the MDCH. "This is an important strategy for reducing infant morality, a priority in Michigan."

 

 Home visiting is one of several strategies embedded in Michigan's comprehensive early childhood system. These grant awards are part of the Federal Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program and are funded by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. This funding provides an opportunity to deliver evidence-based, early childhood home visiting services in order to aid families who need assistance and reside in at-risk communities.

 

The data that influenced Michigan's proposal highlighted a host of issues that families in at-risk communities are currently experiencing. Those issues include poverty, unemployment, crime and domestic violence, child maltreatment, substance abuse, infant mortality, and poor school outcomes. The Home Visiting program is designed to promote maternal, infant and early childhood health, development, and safety; school readiness; and strong parent-child relationships.

 

For more information about the Michigan Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, visit: www.greatstartforkids.org/node/881.

 

.http://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs/homevisitingFor more information about the MIECHV program, visit:

 

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