OHIO DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH

What this award covers

MATERNAL, INFANT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD HOMEVISITING GRANT PROGRAM - PURPOSE: OHIO WILL UTILIZE EVIDENCE-BASED HOME VISITING SERVICES (EBHV) TO SUPPORT EXPECTANT AND NEW PARENTS WHO LIVE IN COMMUNITIES THAT FACE GREATER RISK AND BARRIERS TO ACHIEVING POSITIVE MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH OUTCOMES. IN OHIO, MIECHV SERVES AT-RISK COUNTIES IDENTIFIED BASED ON SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, ADVERSE PERINATAL OUTCOMES, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, CRIME, AND CHILD MALTREATMENT DATA. HOME VISITING ADDRESSES THESE BARRIERS AND PROMOTES POSITIVE MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH OUTCOMES THROUGH TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FAMILIES AND HOME VISITORS. HOME VISITORS PROVIDE TOOLS AND SUPPORT THAT EMPOWERS PARENTS TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS THEY HAVE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES. PARTICIPATING FAMILIES RECEIVE EDUCATION ON TOPICS SUCH AS BREASTFEEDING, SAFE SLEEP, INJURY PREVENTION, NUTRITION, AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLES. ALL EXPECTANT PARENTS, NEW PARENTS, AND CAREGIVERS BENEFIT FROM RECEIVING SUPPORT TO PREPARE, CARE FOR AND FOSTER THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR CHILDREN. HOWEVER, FAMILIES WITH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BARRIERS MAY BENEFIT THE MOST FROM CONSISTENT, REGULAR, AND NON-JUDGMENTAL FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMMING. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: GOAL 1: INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF MIECHV PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITIES TO IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE EVIDENCE-BASED HOME VISITING SERVICES. GOAL 2: IMPROVE STATEWIDE PERFORMANCE ON SAFE SLEEP EDUCATION. GOAL 3: ESTABLISH PARENT ENGAGEMENT AND SATISFACTION RATES. APPROACH: CASELOAD: THE TOTAL MIECHV PROPOSED CASELOAD IS 2,312 FAMILY SLOTS IN BOTH FFY27 AND FFY28, WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPANSION BASED ON IDENTIFIED NEEDS. OHIO WILL FUND A STATEWIDE INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH BRIGHT BEGINNINGS, THE CURRENT CENTRAL INTAKE AND REFERRAL VENDOR. BRIGHT BEGINNINGS WILL SECURE OR BUILD ON EXISTING MAJOR REFERRAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH MEDICAID PROVIDERS, THE WOMEN INFANT AND CHILDREN (WIC) PROGRAM, AND LOCAL PUBLIC CHILDREN SERVICES AGENCIES (PCSAS), AS WELL AS DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY-BASED RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES. THROUGH THE INTAKE PROCESS, EACH FAMILY WILL BE SCREENED AND CONNECTED TO AN EBHV PROGRAM OF THEIR CHOICE. IN ADDITION TO THE INTAKE SCREENING, OHIO EBHV PROVIDERS FACILITATE A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT FOR EACH FAMILY. THE COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT HELPS IDENTIFY CHALLENGES, BARRIERS, COMMUNITY LINKAGES NEEDED, AS WELL IDENTIFY FAMILY STRENGTHS THAT WILL BE LEVERAGED TO ACHIEVE THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY. MIECHV COMMUNITIES SERVED: TWENTY-SEVEN (27) COUNTIES WILL BE FUNDED AND ARE CONSIDERED HIGH-NEED COMMUNITIES BASED ON A NEEDS ASSESSMENT COMPLETED IN 2020: ADAMS, ALLEN, ATHENS, BUTLER, CLARK, COSHOCTON, CUYAHOGA, FAYETTE, FRANKLIN, GALLIA, GUERNSEY, HAMILTON, HIGHLAND, JACKSON, LAWRENCE, LUCAS, MAHONING, MARION, MEIGS, MONTGOMERY, MORGAN, MUSKINGUM, PIKE, ROSS, SCIOTO, SUMMIT AND VINTON. LOCAL IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES (LIAS): OHIO HAS 19 LIAS THAT ARE DESIGNATED TO RECEIVE FY26 MIECHV FUNDING. MATCHING FUNDS: THE $3,321,873 FEDERAL MATCH AMOUNT IS ALLOCATED AS “CONTRACTUAL” TO BE SPENT BY LIAS. THE MATCHING FUNDS WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT EXISTING COMMUNITIES AND HELP THEM ENGAGE FAMILIES AND SUPPORT THE HOME VISITING WORKFORCE. THE INCREASE IN FUNDING WILL ALLOW US TO EVALUATE THE CURRENT NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES IN OHIO AND EXPAND THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE SLOTS IN HIGH-NEED COUNTIES. THE NON-FEDERAL FUNDING SOURCE FOR MATCHING FEDERAL FUNDS ($1,107,291) ORIGINATES FROM STATE GENERAL REVENUE FUNDS LEGISLATIVELY APPROPRIATED AND OBLIGATED FOR EVIDENCE-BASED HOME VISITING (ABOVE AND BEYOND THE MOE AMOUNT ALREADY COMMITTED). THESE NON-FEDERAL FUNDS CONTRIBUTED AS SUPPORT OF THE FEDERAL MATCHING FUNDS WILL BE ALLOCATED TO BRIGHT BEGINNINGS.