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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Items in this list may be obtained from the sources cited. Contact information reflects the most current data about the source that has been provided to the MCH Digital Library.

Displaying records 1 through 10 (10 total).

Maryland Maternal Health Innovation Program (MDMOM). n.d.. Urgent maternal warning signs: Toolkit for home visitors. Baltimore, MD: Maryland Maternal Health Innovation Program (MDMOM), 7 pp.

Annotation: This toolkit provides home visiting programs with client education materials and implementation tools to support maternal warning signs education. This education covers the important signs of maternal complications that may occur during pregnancy and the year after delivery. The toolkit includes an illustrated handout and discussion guide available in 12 languages, a video available in English, Spanish and French, a magnet, and online training for home visitors with an implementation manual. The materials are designed for home visitors working with pregnant and postpartum clients to educate them about urgent maternal warning signs that require immediate medical attention. All digital resources are available through a shared Google Drive folder.

Keywords: Home visits, Maternal mortality, Patient education materials, Prevention, Resources for professionals

Foster CC, Turchi RM, . 2025. Financing of pediatric home health care: Policy statement. American Academy of Pediatrics,

Annotation: This policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics describes the role of home health care for children with disabilities, medical complexity, and chronic conditions in supporting their daily health and community participation. It outlines the legal obligations of payers under federal programs and mandates, including Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) provision and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The document identifies systemic barriers such as workforce shortages, low reimbursement rates, and the significant financial and emotional burden of unpaid caregiving on families. Recommendations are provided for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to improve regulatory oversight, standardize pediatric electronic data structures, and expand paid family caregiver programs.The statement also advocates for payment reforms to support workforce retention, the provision of specialized medical equipment, and the use of telemedicine for remote clinical support.

Keywords: Barriers, Child health, Children with special health care needs, Federal legislation, Financing, Home visits, Medicaid, Pediatrics, Policy, Policy development

Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center . 2024. Prenatal-to-3 state policy roadmap . Nashville, TN: Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center ,

Annotation: This roadmap provides detailed information on policies and strategies that foster nurturing environments for infants and toddlers and reduce disparities in access and outcomes. Published annually, the roadmap is designed to help state leaders (1) Assess the wellbeing of its infants and toddlers and prioritize state policy goals; (2) Identify evidence-based policy solutions proven to impact policy goals; (3) Monitor states’ adoption and implementation of effective policies and strategies; and (4) Track the impact that policy changes have on improving the wellbeing of children and families and reducing disparities between racial and ethnic groups. A summary of each state’s progress is included.

Keywords: Child health, Data collection, Early childhood development, Family leave, Health care access, Health status disparities, Home visits, Infant health, MCH programs, Policy, Prenatal care, State initiatives, State policy

Kleinman K, Del Grosso P, Harding JF, Hsu R, Kalb M, O’Brien J, Rosen E, Mathematica; Ayoub C, Gaither M, Mondi-Rago C, Roberts J, Rosengarten M, Brazelton Touchpoints Center. 2023. Understanding family engagement in home visiting: Literature synthesis. Princeton, NJ: Mathematica ,

Annotation: This literature synthesis aims to deepen understanding of family engagement in early childhood home visiting for program practitioners and policy makers. The synthesis reviews 36 research manuscripts published between 2011 and 2021 to identify factors that influence engagement at all interaction stages: outreach, recruitment, retention, and active participation. It organizes facilitators and barriers across five levels of influence—family, home visitor, program, community, and systems—and highlights that engagement is consistently supported by relevant program content, a positive and trusting dynamic between home visitors and families, and flexibility in scheduling and service delivery. The document provides extensive directions for future research on topics such as effective strategies for matching home visitors and families, reengaging families who miss scheduled visits, and understanding how funder and program model requirements influence access and equity

Keywords: Child health, Family support programs, Home visits, Home visits, Maternal health, Model programs, Postpartum care, Research

Morrison C, Sparr M. 2019. Strengthening service coordination between home visitors and pediatric primary care providers . Arlington, VA: James Bell Associates,

Annotation: This brief summarizes the research on service coordination between home visiting programs and pediatric primary care providers, including co-located services. The following four questions are addressed: (1) Why should home visiting programs coordinate with pediatric primary care providers? (2) What are common obstacles to service coordination? (3) How can providers work around common obstacles? (4) What are implications for practice and future research? Promising strategies to promote awareness, establish effective communication, and develop policies and mechanism in support of service coordination are included.

Keywords: Home visits, Pediatric care, Primary care, Service coordination, Service integration

Texas Department of State Health Services. (2018). Healthy Texas Smiles teaser. Austin, TX: Texas Department of State Health Services, 1 video (1.27 min.).

Annotation: This video provides information about the Healthy Texas Smiles for Moms and Babies project. The project trains home visitors on how to help pregnant women understand the importance of taking care of their oral health. The project also trains home visitors on how to teach mothers to take care of their infant’s mouth after birth. The video shows home visitors in various settings interacting with pregnant women and their families and providing them with oral health education in their homes. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Home visits, Infant health, MCH training, Oral health, Pregnant women, State programs, Texas, Videotapes

Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, Early Childhood Committee. 2018. Oral health educational resources for home visitors and families: Environmental scan—2018 update. Reno, NV: Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, 19 pp.

Arbour M, Mackrain M, Fitzgerald E, Atwood S. 2018. National quality improvement initiative in home visiting services improves breastfeeding initiation and duration. Academic Pediatrics, 9 pp.

Annotation: This journal article discusses how the rates of breastfeeding can be improved by home visiting servcies through a process of continuous quality improvement called the Breakthrough Series Collaborative model. From 2013 to 2016, the Home Visiting Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network (HV CoIIN) enrolled 15 home visiting agencies serving 1000 families in seven states to increase breastfeeding among participants with very low baseline breastfeeding rates.

Keywords: Breast feeding, Home visits, Quality improvement

Rhode Island Department of Health. 2016. Oral health talking points and myths: For WIC and family visiting program staff. Providence, RI: Rhode Island Department of Health, 2 pp.

Community Preventive Services Task Force. 2016. Increasing appropriate vaccination: Home visits to increase vaccination rates. Atlanta, GA: Community Preventive Services Task Force, 3 pp.

Annotation: This web page outlines the effectiveness of home visiting programs to increase vaccination rates. Included is a summary of findings from a systematic review conducted by the Community Preventive Services Task Force. Supporting materials and a list of considerations for implementation are also provided.

Keywords: Home Visits, Immunization, Vaccinations
   

The MCH Library is one of six special collections at Georgetown University, the nation's oldest Jesuit institution of higher education. The library is supported through foundation, private, university, state, and federal funding. This information or content and conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by Georgetown University or the U.S. Government. Note: web pages whose development was supported by federal government grants are being reviewed to comply with applicable Executive Orders.