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You are here: News Politics Gov. Martinez Announces NM to receive $3.5 million to support families

Gov. Martinez Announces NM to receive $3.5 million to support families

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Funds earmarked for ‘Home Visiting Program’

SANTA FE – Gov. Susana Martinez announced Sept. 28 that New Mexico will receive $3.5 million dollars from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program.

The funding from this grant will allow the state to continue to provide voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services to women during pregnancy, and to parents with young children up to kindergarten entry.

“Providing this valuable information to parents with young children can help them to improve their quality of life,” Martinez said. “By offering this service to our most at-risk population, we are providing them with the resources and skills to ensure that their children grow up mentally and physically healthy and ready to learn.”

Administered by HRSA, in partnership with the Administration for Children and Families, the MIECHV Program gives pregnant women and families, particularly those considered at-risk, necessary resources and skill to raise children who are physically, socially, and emotionally healthy and ready to learn.

All MIECHV funded programs in New Mexico engage pregnant women as early as possible through targeted recruitment efforts. Each program provides families with health education, including discussing the importance of obtaining and actively participating in prenatal care within the first trimester.

When mothers do not have a prenatal care provider, home visitors make appropriate referrals to link mothers to prenatal care providers available at local health clinics, hospitals, doctors, Indian Health Services and other social service agencies.

“By engaging pregnant women and their families with health education, we are giving them an opportunity to obtain the tools necessary to ensure the health and safety of their children,” CYFD Cabinet Secretary Monique Jacobson said. “Our goal is always to ensure that all children are healthy and safe, and this program allows us to target our most at-risk population who can benefit from this service.”

Since 2011, the number of counties in New Mexico that have an MIECHV program has increased from two counties to five counties and the number of children and families being served has increased from 160 to 425 in 2017.  This grant will provide professional development opportunities for current providers such as home visitors, FOCUS consultation, and for the Home Visiting Resource and Referral Project.

The MIECHV grant begins on October 1 of this year and runs to September 30, 2019.

For more information on the MIECHV Program please visit: www.newmexicokids.org/parents-and-families/homevisiting/ or call 1-800-691-9067.