About AMCHP
The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs is an important resource and advocate for quality health care for women, children and families. For over 70 years, we’ve worked to protect the health and well-being of all families, especially those who are low-income and underserved. AMCHP represents state public health leaders who promote the health of America’s families. Our members come from the highest levels of state government and include directors of maternal and child health programs, directors of programs for children with special health care needs, adolescent health coordinators and other public health leaders. Members of this national nonprofit organization also include academic, advocacy and community-based family health professionals, as well as families themselves.
Healthy Children, Strong Families, Caring Communities
Collectively, our members manage public health programs that serve over 27 million women, children and youth across the country. That’s over 80 percent of infants, 50 percent of pregnant women and 20 percent of children in the U.S.
AMCHP works to build a society where healthy families are the foundation of vital communities. To realize this vision, AMCHP advocates for a national investment in family health, universal health insurance and care for the most vulnerable Americans.
A Leader in Family Health
Through leadership training, technical assistance and educational initiatives, AMCHP builds the capacity of state health agencies to manage vital programs for women, children and families. Like our nation’s system of roads and bridges, our systems of health and social services need regular attention and upgrading. AMCHP helps our members build the infrastructure for cost-effective, quality health care.
Women’s and Perinatal Health
AMCHP conducts several programs to promote quality health care for women of reproductive age, including comprehensive prenatal and postnatal care. Nationally the incidence of low birthweight babies and infant mortality for African Americans is twice the rate for whites. Through AMCHP’s Action Learning Labs, state family health programs learn how to reduce these racial and ethnic disparities. Other technical assistance programs help prevent HIV transmission from mothers to babies, help women quit smoking during pregnancy and promote safe motherhood.
Adolescent and School Health
AMCHP partners with state health agencies, schools and youth organizations to prevent behaviors that place youth at risk for HIV, STDs, unintended pregnancy and other significant health problems. Using tools like the Conceptual Framework for Adolescent Health, AMCHP helps strengthen state adolescent health programs. Through a formal partnership with the National Network of State Adolescent Health Coordinators, AMCHP builds strong public support for an investment in youth and families.
Children With Special Health Care Needs
AMCHP members serve one million of the estimated 12 million children who have a disability or chronic illness. AMCHP works to ensure that children with special health care needs receive high quality, family-centered and integrated health services. We work with national and state partners to link children identified with a special need to appropriate health care and support services.
Policy and Advocacy
AMCHP works to strengthen national policy and increase resources for maternal and child health programs. We advocate for a national investment in family health, universal health insurance and health care for the most vulnerable. To keep our members informed, AMCHP tracks and analyzes emerging policy issues that impact family health, such as Medicaid reform, bioterrorism and welfare reauthorization.
Data and Assessment
AMCHP collects and analyzes data to monitor factors affecting the health of families. Our professional staff train state agencies to use data to improve their health programs. For example, MATRICHS, an online training program conducted in partnership with the University of Rochester, teaches multidisciplinary state teams practical and sustainable analytical skills.
Our Support
AMCHP receives generous support from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
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