MIECHV Program
What is the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program?
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program was established through federal funding awarded to states by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). States apply for this funding to deliver high-quality, evidence-based, early childhood home visitation services in communities identified through completion of a required needs assessment to prioritize services to families most at risk for poor maternal, infant and child health outcomes.
The overall purpose is to ensure that children have the opportunity to grow up healthy, safe, ready to learn, and able to become productive members of society. In Missouri, this is accomplished through the education and support provided through the implementation of one of four evidence-based models: Early Head Start Home-Based Option (EHS-HBO), Healthy Families
America (HFA), Parents as Teachers (PAT), or Nurse Family Partnership (NFP). Services are free, and participation is voluntary for families residing within a county identified as at-risk.
More on MIECHV
Models
For more information, visit Head Start’s Home-Based Option website.
Healthy Families America (HFA) is a national program recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness project as a home visiting model that meets the criteria as an “Evidence-based Early Childhood Home Visiting Service Delivery Model.” The HFA model is a voluntary program designed to work with families who may have histories of trauma, intimate partner violence, mental health, and/or substance misuse. The HFA model utilizes experienced early childhood home visitors to provide frequent and supportive home visiting services. The goals of this program are:
- to build and sustain community partnerships to systematically engage overburdened families in home visiting services prenatally or at birth
- to cultivate and strengthen nurturing parent-child relationships
- to promote healthy childhood growth and development
- and to enhance family functioning by reducing risk and building protective factors.
For more information, visit the Healthy Families America website.
Nurse Family Partnership® (NFP) is a national program recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness project as a home visiting model that meets the criteria as an “Evidence-based Early Childhood Home Visiting Service Delivery Model.” The NFP model’s primary goals include improved pregnancy outcomes by helping women engage in good prenatal health practices, improved child health and development by helping primary caregivers provide competent care for their children; and improved economic self-sufficiency by helping primary caregivers develop a vision for their and their family’s future.
For more information, visit the Nurse-Family Partnership website.
Parents as Teachers (PAT) is a national home visiting program recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness project as a home visiting model that meets the criteria as an “Evidence-based Early Childhood Home Visiting Service Delivery Model.” The Parents as Teachers model program builds strong communities, thriving families, and children who are healthy, safe and ready to learn by matching parents and caregivers with trained professionals, known as Parent Educators. Parent Educators make regular personal home visits during a child’s earliest years in life, from prenatal through kindergarten. The Parents as Teachers model program provides a broad context of parenting education and family support that builds protective factors, especially for those families in vulnerable situations. At its core, the Parents as Teachers model program is relationship-based and parenting-focused. Curriculum focuses on parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting, and family well-being; on strengths, capabilities and skills; and on building protective factors within the family. Services are provided primarily in the home and through group connection activities. The Parent as Teachers model programming assists primary caregivers to identify strengths and set goals for themselves and their family.
For more information, visit the Parents as Teachers website.
Eligibility
Early Head Start Home Based Option Model (EHS-HBO)
Eligibility: Low-income under 185% of poverty as defined on the ASPE Poverty Guidelines website; (55% of funded enrollment must be families at or below 100% of federal poverty level; 35% of funded enrollment must be families with income between 100-130% federal poverty level; and 10% of funded enrollment must be made available to children with disabilities eligible for Part C Services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), pregnant women, and primary caregivers with children birth to age three. Foster children are eligible regardless of foster family’s income. Homeless children are eligible.
Healthy Families America
Eligibility: Low-income under 185% of poverty as defined on the ASPE Poverty Guidelines website who are at risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, pregnant women or primary caregivers of infants less than 3 months of age, and reside in the counties served by the program.
Nurse Family Partnership
Eligibility: Low-income under 185% of poverty as defined on the ASPE Poverty Guidelines website first-time pregnant women enrolled prior to the 28th week of pregnancy, and reside in the counties served by the program. Visits are provided by registered nurses continue until the child reaches age two.
Parents as Teachers
Eligibility: Low-income under 185% of poverty as defined on the ASPE Poverty Guidelines website pregnant women and primary caregivers with children birth to kindergarten entry who meet at least two program characteristics. Foster children are eligible regardless of foster family’s income.
If you would like to directly make a referral for home visiting or learn more information about the statewide referral system, visit the CRIS Link.