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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 20 (1,691 total).

National Center for Clinical Infant Programs. n.d.. Infancy in the eighties: Social policy and the earliest years of life. Washington, DC: National Center for Clinical Infant Programs, 20 pp.

Annotation: This small pamphlet summarizes new knowledge about infant and toddler development and its impact on public policy. New research findings and clinical experience can be used to increase the effectiveness of legislation affecting children and families, programs for health screening, disease prevention and related issues for families, and public and private policies toward parents in the workplace.

Contact: ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families, 1255 23rd Street, N.W., Suite 350, Washington, DC 20037, Telephone: (202) 638-1144 Contact Phone: (202) 638-0840 Fax: (202) 638-0851 Web Site: http://www.zerotothree.org

Keywords: Family support services, Health policy, Infant health services, Policy development

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. n.d.. Bringing it together: Head Start-state collaboration projects. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, 67 pp.

Annotation: This report provides an introduction to the Head Start-State Collaboration Projects, which involve Head Start in state planning and policy making efforts that affect low income children and families. It includes some fact sheets on the Collaboration Projects, project profiles and contact list, legislation regarding Head Start-State Collaboration Projects, and an excerpt from the report of the Advisory Committee on Head Start Quality and Expansion.

Contact: U.S. Administration for Children and Families, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Washington, DC 20447, Telephone: (202) 401-9215 Secondary Telephone: (800) 422-4453 Web Site: http://www.acf.hhs.gov Available from the website.

Keywords: Collaboration, Early childhood education, Family support, Head Start, Low income groups, Policy development, Program descriptions, Public private partnerships, State initiatives, Statewide planning

Handgun Control Inc., and Center to Prevent Handgun Violence. n.d.. We have a comprehensive program to combat gun violence. Washington, DC: Handgun Control, Inc., and Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, 1 p.

Larsen,B. n.d.. Symbolic logic: A promising decision making tool. Minneapolis, MN: [University of Minnesota, School of Public Health], Systems Development Project, 25 pp. (Quantods series no.: 1-8 (5))

Indian Health Service. n.d.. Indian health manual: Professional services—Dental. Rockville, MD: Indian Health Service, 1 v.

Palmer A, Caglia J, Paulemon W, Mazon R, McWeeny W, Geertz A, Nakon L. 2025. Postpartum care systems: Strategically collaborating to advance and align solutions across sectors. Washington, DC: Grantmakers In Health,

Annotation: This article from Grantmakers In Health (GIH) describes a collaborative effort by funders to address gaps in postpartum care following the extension of Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months after birth. The piece discusses how a workgroup of funders—including Pritzker Children's Initiative, Merck for Mothers, and Community Health Acceleration Partnership—formed in 2023 to identify opportunities for improving postpartum care systems. The article includes a visual diagram that illustrates the multi-layered challenges in postpartum care on three levels: individual, community, and system. This concentric circle diagram shows how issues such as standards of care, access to quality care, care fragmentation, and policy misalignment (at the system level) interact with community-level challenges like administrative burden and workforce shortages, as well as individual-level factors including awareness of needs, social and economic barriers, and fear of medical debt. Through stakeholder interviews, the workgroup discovered significant fragmentation of services and the absence of comprehensive care standards beyond the traditional six-week postpartum period. In response, the funders issued a request for proposals aimed at creating a centralized hub to catalog and connect postpartum care initiatives, with the goal of developing comprehensive standards and addressing what they term the "postpartum cliff."

Contact: Grantmakers In Health, 1100 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20036-4101, Telephone: (202) 452-8331 Fax: (202) 452-8340 Web Site: http://www.gih.org

Keywords: Access to healthcare, Barriers, Collaboration, Funding, Health care reform, Library collection development, Medicaid, Policy, Postpartum care, Requests for proposals, Service delivery systems, Standards

Buettgens M. 2025. Reducing federal support for Medicaid expansion would shift costs to states and likely result in coverage losses. Washington, DC: 20024, 40 pp.

Annotation: This research report examines the potential impacts of eliminating enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for Medicaid expansion, focusing on state budget implications and health coverage consequences. It presents data showing that if enhanced FMAP were eliminated in 2026, the 41 expansion states would need to increase spending on acute care for the nonelderly by an average of 25.6 percent to maintain current eligibility levels. If all states dropped Medicaid expansion in response, Medicaid enrollment would decline by 15.9 million people, with 10.8 million becoming uninsured. The report describes how Medicaid expansion has benefited enrollees through improved health care access and financial security, while also providing fiscal benefits to states through additional savings and revenue. Using the Urban Institute's Health Insurance Policy Simulation Model, the analysis examines various scenarios of state responses and includes detailed data tables showing state-by-state impacts on coverage and spending.

Contact: Urban Institute, 500 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC 20024, E-mail: https://www.urban.org/about/contact-us Web Site: http://www.urban.org

Keywords: Financing, Health care reform, Health insurance, Health policy, Medicaid, State aid

Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy. 2025. Bridging the gap: Expanding the role of dental hygienists. Albany, NY: Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, 4 pp.

Annotation: This brief provides information on expanding the role of dental hygienists in New York to improve access to oral health care in the state. Topics include the role of dental hygienists in providing oral health care, expanding the types of care that dental hygienists can provide, and policy recommendations.

Contact: Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, 150 State Street, Fourth Floor, Albany, NY 12207, Telephone: (518) 463-1896 Fax: (518) 463-3364 Web Site: http://www.scaany.org Available from the website.

Keywords: Access to health care, Dental hygienists, New York, Oral health, Policy development, State information

California Department of Health Care Services. 2025. Birthing Care Pathway report . Sacramento, CA: California Department of Health Care Services, 111 pp.

Annotation: This report presents a roadmap of California's Birthing Care Pathway initiative launched by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to address maternal health disparities and improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum Medi-Cal members. It describes the current state of maternal health in California, highlighting concerning trends in pregnancy-related mortality and severe maternal morbidity with significant racial disparities affecting Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Pacific Islander individuals. The document outlines DHCS' strategic approach to improve maternal health through policy solutions developed with input from diverse stakeholders, including Medi-Cal members. Key components include strengthening provider access, enhancing clinical care coordination, providing whole-person care, and modernizing maternity care payment systems. The report details recent Medi-Cal policy enhancements for perinatal care and describes California's participation in the federal Transforming Maternal Health Model to further strengthen delivery systems in selected Central Valley counties.

Contact: California Department of Health Care Services, P.O. Box 997413, MS 4400, Sacramento,, CA 95899-7413 , Fax: E-mail: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Pages/contact_us.aspx Web Site: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/

Keywords: California, Health care disparities, Maternal health, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Model programs, Perinatal care, Policy development, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, State initiatives, Trends

Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center . 2025. Funding mechanisms for state paid family and medical leave programs. Nashville, TN: Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center ,

Annotation: This research brief provides an overview of funding mechanisms for state paid family and medical leave (PFML) programs in the United States. The brief explains that PFML programs are self-sustaining, funded through payroll contributions (premiums) from workers, employers, or both, with no ongoing state funding required. The document features diagrams showing funding flows, premium rates across states, and historical premium trends, highlighting that PFML premiums remain affordable, typically below 1% of wages. The brief details key policy decisions states must make regarding start-up funding, premium responsibility, contribution wage bases, small business exemptions, and premium caps. It includes several state policy spotlights, such as California's elimination of wage thresholds for premium collection and Minnesota's scaled premium reductions for small businesses. The document includes additional resources for policymakers considering PFML programs.

Contact: Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center , Vanderbilt University , Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Nashville, TN 37203, E-mail: https://pn3policy.org/contact/ Web Site: https://pn3policy.org/

Keywords: California, Employee assistance programs, Employee benefits, Family leave, Funding, Initiatives, Minnesota, Parental leave, Policy development, State programs

Cofano L, Isman B, Jacob M, Payne K, Wood C. 2024. Guidebook for policy consensus tool: Steps to create a successful oral health consensus-building session (Rev. ed.). Washington, DC: Children's Dental Health Project; Reno, NV: Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, 33 pp.

Annotation: This two-part policy tool is designed to support a facilitated process for state oral health stakeholders to collectively make decisions about priorities based on suggested criteria. It also provides a planning checklist to move forward strategically. Part one assists state oral health programs in assessing opportunities for socio-political, policy, and systems change. It considers scientific data collection, professional judgment, community input, and feasibility in needs assessment and policy development to improve oral health resources and services. Part two focuses on developing policy actions or systems-development plans to take advantage of or create new opportunities to advance the public’s oral health. The guidebook contains a series of templates that can be reproduced and adapted to meet specific project needs. This tool was previously issued as "The policy tool guidebook: Steps for creating a successful oral health policy tool session" (2009).

Contact: Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, 3858 Cashill Boulevard, Reno, NV 89509, Telephone: (775) 626-5008 Fax: (775) 626-9268 E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: https://www.astdd.org Available from the website.

Keywords: Children, Collaboration, Community coordination, Health policy, Manuals, Needs assessment, Oral health, Public health programs, Strategic plans

Center for Connected Health Policy. 2024. State telehealth laws and reimbursement policies report, fall 2024. Sacramento, CA: Center for Connected Health Policy, 1 web resource.

Annotation: This report provides a guide to telehealth-related policies, laws, and regulations for all states and the District of Columbia. The report contains information about Medicaid policy trends, including common telehealth Medicaid policy expansions. Also discussed are professional practice standards, private payer reimbursement, online prescribing, and consent laws and requirements. Information about licensure requirements by state for health professionals providing telehealth is incuded.

Contact: Center for Connected Health Policy, 2520 Venture Oaks Way, Suite 180, Sacramento, CA 95833, E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: https://www.cchpca.org Available from the website.

Keywords: Legislation, Managed care, Medicaid, Oral health, Public policy, Regulations, Telemedicine

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.

Contact: Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center , Vanderbilt University , Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Nashville, TN 37203, E-mail: https://pn3policy.org/contact/ Web Site: https://pn3policy.org/

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

Bhatnagar P. 2024. Housing justice is reproductive justice: A review of housing justice as a structural determinant of black women and birthing people's reproductive health in Washington, D.C.. Washington, D.C: Mamatoto Village and Georgetown University Health Justice Alliance , 26 pp.

Annotation: This report highlights the common threads between housing and reproductive justice, emphasizing the importance of policy solutions that de-silo maternal health and address social and structural barriers. The first section describes how structural racism and structural disinvestment—including residential segregation, poor housing access and conditions, residential instability and gentrification, and the carceral apparatus—contribute to deleterious health outcomes among Black women and birthing people. The second section outlines how Black pregnancy is policed across the reproductive lifespan through forced evictions and displacement during pregnancy, double jeopardy of racism and discrimination in health care settings, and threatened Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement after birth. The third section highlights the status of housing reform in Washington, D.C. and potential opportunities for change. The report ends with Mamatoto Village’s housing justice framework, a summary of federal housing programs and policies, and links to annotated bibliography of key articles.

Contact: Georgetown University , Health Justice Alliance , 600 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001, Telephone: (202) 662-9000 Web Site: https://www.law.georgetown.edu/health-justice-alliance/

Keywords: Barriers, Blacks, Civil rights, Federal programs , Housing, Housing programs, Maternal health, Policy development, Pregnancy, Racism, Social factors, Underserved communities

Gould Z, Buskey R, Smith H. 2024. State policy considerations to support equitable systems of care for children and youth with special health care needs . Portland, ME: National Academy for State Health Policy,

Annotation: This brief highlights state approaches and innovations to support equitable systems of care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN).

Contact: National Academy for State Health Policy, 10 Free Street, Second Floor, Portland, ME 04101, Telephone: (207) 874-6524 Secondary Telephone: (202) 903-0101 Fax: (207) 874-6527 E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: http://www.nashp.org

Keywords: Adolescents with special health care needs, Children with special health care needs, Health equity, Policy development, Public policy, State initiatives

Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, Technical Assistance and Analytic Support for the Medicaid and CHIP Quality Measurement and Improvement Program. 2024. Highlights from the Advancing Oral Health Prevention in Primary Care Affinity Group. Baltimore, MD: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 5 pp. (Quality improvement affinity group highlights)

Annotation: This report provides information about how fluoride varnish (FV) can be used to prevent or reverse the early states of tooth decay. It presents background, explains what FV is, and discusses state FV quality-improvement (QI) projects. It also discusses how states have partnered to improve the success of QI projects, sustaining and spreading improvement through program and policy changes, and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.

Contact: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244, Telephone: (800) 633-4227 Secondary Telephone: (877) 267-2323 Fax: Web Site: https://www.cms.gov Available from the website.

Keywords: Dental caries, Fluoride, Oral health, Policy development, Prevention, Programs, Quality assurance

Crumley D. 2024. Understanding new federal guidance on Medicaid coverage of health-related social needs services. Hamilton, NJ: Center for Health Care Strategies, 3 pp

Annotation: This policy cheat sheet outlines the ways in which state Medicaid agencies can obtain federal approval to fund health-related social services such as food assistance and housing support. Included are links to related documents and federal guidance, including a table of 15 concrete interventions and four pathways for federal approval. Examples of promising strategies in the states of New York, Minnesota, and Massachusetts are also provided.

Contact: Center for Health Care Strategies, 300 American Metro Boulevard, Suite 125, Hamilton, NJ 08619, Telephone: (609) 528-8400 Fax: (609) 586-3679 Web Site: http://www.chcs.org

Keywords: Funding, Health care reform, Medicaid, Policy, Social services, State initiatives

D’Alessandro M, Higgins E, Wilkniss S. 2024. Trends in state policies that support the community health worker workforce. Portland, ME: National Academy for State Health Policy,

Annotation: This blog post explains how states are sustaining, developing, and partnering with the community health worker (CHW) workforce and describes how states are leveraging Medicaid strategies to finance CHWs. Included is a link to a 50-state Medicaid tracker that provides details on state CHW models, including certification and training, Medicaid reimbursement, other funding mechanisms, state legislation, and key partnerships.

Contact: National Academy for State Health Policy, 10 Free Street, Second Floor, Portland, ME 04101, Telephone: (207) 874-6524 Secondary Telephone: (202) 903-0101 Fax: (207) 874-6527 E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: http://www.nashp.org

Keywords: Community health aides, Community health workers, Health policy, Trends, Work force

Community Catalyst. 2024. Community perspectives on access, quality, and invasiveness of dental care. Boston, MA: Community Catalyst, 20 pp.

Annotation: This report provides information about a series of community listening sessions that Community Catalyst held with community members in three states. The purpose of the sessions was to gain a better understanding of community members' perspectives related to access to and experiences with oral health care. The report includes an overview of the methodology of these listening sessions, descriptions of key themes that arose, and recommendations for policy solutions to address the barriers community members identified.

Contact: Community Catalyst, 30 Winter Street, 10th Floor, Boston, MA 02108, Telephone: (617) 338-6035 Fax: (617) 451-5838 E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: https://www.communitycatalyst.org Available from the website.

Keywords: Access to health care, Barriers, Community health, Oral health, Public policy

Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center. 2024. The practical playbook III: Working together to improve maternal health . Chapel Hill, NC: Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center, 665 pp.

Annotation: This resource for professionals provides actionable guidance that encourages collaboration across diverse sectors to address and improve inequities and maternal health outcomes. It provides examples of partnerships that leverage new ideas and resources, including innovative approaches to gathering and using data; highlights policies and practices that are improving the health and well-being of birthing people and children across the United States; and includes stories from birthing people and women about their pregnancy and childbirth experiences. Graphics and sample text for social media posts are also provided.

Contact: Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC Web Site: https://maternalhealthlearning.org/

Keywords: Prenatal care, Advocacy, Childbirth, Colllaboration, Community action, Data, Health equity, Maternal health, Models, Policy, Pregnancy, Resources for professionals

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The MCH Digital Library is one of six special collections at Geogetown University, the nation's oldest Jesuit institution of higher education. It is supported in part by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under award number U02MC31613, MCH Advanced Education Policy with an award of $700,000/year. The library is also supported through foundation and univerity funding. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.