In October 2019, the Wolf Administration announced that, under the guidance of the Department of Human Services (DHS), it is expanding home visiting supports to first-time mothers and mothers of children with special needs covered by Medicaid. The expansion, made possible in collaboration with physical health Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs), will guarantee at least two home visits to new parents and families with children with additional risk factors across Pennsylvania, expanding access to evidence-based models that promote and support healthy child and family development.

About

Since 2015, investments totaling nearly $16.5 million in state funds have helped increase the number of children and families who can receive home visiting supports in communities around Pennsylvania. Guaranteeing a minimum of two home visits to all first-time mothers and mothers of children with special needs through Medicaid continues this work.

“Being a parent can be a challenge for anyone,” said Secretary Miller. “Because children don’t come with an instruction manual, home visiting programs create support systems for families to learn to better understand children’s needs, monitor milestones, and identify other opportunities for support that can continue to facilitate healthy long-term growth.”

The home visiting expansion is effective January 1, 2020 through the MCOs’ 2020 agreement. Under the new agreements, MCOs will be required to establish an evidence-based, standardized maternal, infant, and early childhood home visitation program for all first-time parents and parents of infants with additional risk factors. All parents and children identified through this effort will receive at least two home visits at no cost, and depending on need, may be referred to other established home visiting programs to continue these services. DHS expects that these programs will be in place with eligible new parents receiving home visiting services by July 1, 2020.

“There is no more important focus of my administration than giving all children and families a strong start,” Gov. Wolf said. “By expanding access to evidence-based home visiting programs, we will put more kids, parents, and families on a path to a healthy, happy future.”

What is Home Visiting?

Evidence-based home visiting family support programs have a family-centered focus and strength-based approach that works with both the child and parent. A home visitor can help parents gain the skills and connect to resources necessary to improve their family’s health, safety, economic security, and success in early childhood education.

Studies of various nurse-family partnership programs have shown positive impacts for the mother and baby during pregnancy and after birth, such as a decrease in domestic violence and smoking during pregnancy, a significant decrease in pre-term births, and a majority of babies being born at a healthy weight. Home visiting can also improve parents’ child development knowledge and skills, help develop social support systems, and improve access to education, health, and community services.

Examples of services include:

• • monthly parent meetings;
  • regularly scheduled home visits with trained family development specialists; and
  • routine screenings to identify post-partum depression and detect potential problems with vision, hearing, growth, and learning age-based milestones.

What You Can Do

While there have been increased investments in home visiting, only 15,900 children are estimated to be served in the current state fiscal year. That’s only five percent of the children who would benefit from these services the most. Join the statewide campaign Childhood Begins at Home in advocating to maintain and build on state investments in evidence-based home visiting.

More Information

For more information, read the full release.

*Information provided by the Governor Tom Wolf Administration