HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania will receive $18.8 million in federal funding to maintain voluntary home-visiting services for pregnant women and families with young children, an increase of more than $1 million from last year that was unlocked in part by state matching funds.
The $18,761,236 award comes through the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, or MIECHV. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services oversees services financed by the program in the state.
Pennsylvania’s award increased by $1,086,408 from last year. Under the program’s matching structure, the state receives $3 in federal funding for every $1 it provides in eligible non-federal funds.
The funding is part of what federal officials described as the largest amount of dedicated federal support for home-visiting services to date. MIECHV provides grants to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, five U.S. territories and 53 Tribes.
The program finances voluntary services that connect families with trained professionals during pregnancy and early childhood. Home visitors work with parents on child development, parenting strategies and access to health and social services.
Services can begin before a child’s birth or later in early childhood. The federal program uses evidence-based home-visiting models designed to improve maternal and child health, early development and school readiness and reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect.
Home visitors can also help parents pursue education and job training and address financial and housing stability, according to the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.
“Supporting parents early gives children a stronger start,” HRSA Administrator Tom Engels said. He described home visiting as part of the Trump administration’s broader health policy agenda focused on improving health outcomes earlier in life.
MIECHV is the federal government’s only funding source dedicated specifically to home visiting, making the annual allocation a central source of federal support for states operating evidence-based programs for families with young children.
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