Great News for Evidence-Based Home Visitation Programs
Friday, June 28, 2013
By: Madeline McClure

U.S. Supreme Court upholds the validity of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which includes the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV Program)

While it is TexProtects' policy to refrain from taking positions on legislation outside of our mission and focus of child protection, we are happy to report great news for evidence-based home visitation programs. As a result of today's U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the validity of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV Program), which is included in the ACA, remain intact. This decision means continued MIECHV Program funding for effective evidence-based home visitation programs, like TexProtects' sponsored initiative, the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP). These programs can continue their vital work in serving vulnerable moms, fathers and their babies. In fact, thousands of additional Texas at-risk mothers, fathers and their babies, as well as other family members, are currently benefitting from the $17.8 million in federal funds Texas pulled down from the MIECHV program. Texas was able to access these federal funds given the $17.8 million "maintenance of effort" (MOE) or matching funds that you, as an NFP/Home Visitation advocate, helped raise and maintain at the state level in the face of a proposed 50% draconian cut last session!

Congratulations and thank you for your past and ongoing efforts to protect Texas Children and to enhance the overall functioning, health, education and self-sufficiency of our most at-risk families.

Congratulations to all the new MIECHV-funded home visitation sites, including Parents as Teachers (PAT), Home Instruction of Parents of Preschool Youth (HIPPY) and Early Head Start (EHS) as well as NFP, that are underway in hiring home visitors and currently serving these most vulnerable populations.