OUR COMMITTEES

The Executive Committee manages the work of the Board of Directors and acts between board meetings as needed. Its members include the president, president-elect, past-president, secretary, treasurer and the CEO (ex-officio).

The Finance Committee reviews the association’s finances and budgets and makes financial recommendations to the Board of Directors. The committee writes policies regarding AMCHP’s finances and investments for board consideration. 

AMCHP’s Annual Conference Committee oversees the planning and implementation of our annual convening of one of the largest gatherings of MCH leaders in the country. The planning committee uses conference evaluation data from previous years and works with staff to ensure that each Annual Conference meets the needs of conference attendees.

The main activities of this committee include:

• Gathering input each year on the theme for the next conference
• Reviewing the call for conference proposals
• Shaping the scope of plenary sessions and tailoring the conference experience to different audiences (youth, local, and others.)

The Maternal Child Health (MCH) Innovations Committee envisions a future where all women, children, youth, and families across the nation, Tribal Nations, and US Territories have access to innovative and effective health practices and services tailored to their individual and family needs, culture, and community. This committee works to identify, review, amplify, support, and encourage within the MCH workforce the replication of innovative and effective MCH practices and policies that promote health equity.

Previous accomplishments:  

• Overhauled its internal structures including redoing its charter
• Created a new committee work plan template and implementation process that is aligned with AMCHP’s strategic plan

The purpose of the Family Leadership, Education, and Development (LEAD) Committee is to provide board-level support and leadership to develop and implement effective programs, strategies, and policies that advance family and youth involvement in maternal and child health issues, including children and youth with special health care needs, at the local, state, and national levels. The Family LEAD Committee envisions that all families be equipped to be effective leaders, advocates, and partners in health care and in their communities.

Previous activities of this committee to support families and Title V programs working with families include:

• Hosting two webinars focused on the Blueprint for Change 
• Conducting a Care Mapping skills-building session at AMCHP 2024
• Co-hosting a conference discussion forum, in partnership with AMCHP staff, to better understand the current needs of family leaders to help inform future activities

The Governance Committee is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of the full board. It oversees the entire board-building cycle. The committee’s responsibilities include:

• Developing job descriptions for board members; orienting new board members and providing continuing education of all members on their responsibilities
• Drafting a board recruitment plan and continuously cultivating new prospects
• Ensuring that governance and policy documents are regularly reviewed
• Managing the annual nominations and elections process

The AMCHP Health Equity Committee serves to provide national/state guidance and leadership in our mission to achieve equity in maternal, child, and adolescent health (MCAH). The committee’s primary functions are to:

• Provide public health strategic frameworks to guide MCAH leadership in addressing racial/ethnic and other health disparities
• Motivate MCAH leaders and professionals to expand/ shift focus from a service-oriented to a community-transformation paradigm that includes addressing underlying social/structural determinants of health
• Make recommendations regarding gaps in resources, tools, research, or program evaluation to inform and expand the MCAH knowledge base
• Coordinate AMCHP’s efforts and communications related to health equity

Recent accomplishments: Successfully relaunching the committee after a brief hiatus

The Legislative & Health Policy Committee is charged with helping develop AMCHP’s annual Federal Policy Agenda. The committee also offers recommendations on a wide array of AMCHP policy-related activities (e.g., biweekly Policy Digest, monthly Policy and Partnership Town Hall) and policy stances. The committee focuses on policies and regulations that support national efforts to expand access to and affordability of quality health care and supports for birthing people, children, and families while considering both the state/local perspective as well as the potential for systematic change.

Previous activities and accomplishments:  

• Revamping AMCHP’s Federal Policy Agenda 
• Contributing to comment letters on federal proposed rules 
• Advising on letters to Congress aimed at advancing MCH initiatives 

The Workforce and Leadership Development Committee leads the implementation of the Maternal and Child Health Talent pillar of AMCHP’s strategic plan, AMCHP Future 2027. It identifies issues that state Title V programs are facing in recruiting, training, and retaining staff. The committee identifies resources from across the country to help Title V staff address these issues, including training and technical assistance, data and assessment, and professional development. The committee also provides member input on AMCHP programs created to support the Title V workforce, such as Leadership Lab and the Graduate Student Epidemiology Program. 

Previous activities and accomplishments: 

• Facilitated a series of interactive coffee chats to garner public input on the Maternal and Child Health Talent pillar of AMCHP Future, 2027 
• Hosted a public webinar on Trauma-Informed Workplaces in Public Health

Current activities: 

• Developing a glossary of key maternal and child health workforce development terms, with the intent to share broadly with the field
• Supporting AMCHP’s trauma-informed workplace journey

Led by youth and young adult leaders, the Youth Voice Amplified (YVA) committee operates using the Jemez principles of democratic organizing, “nothing about us without us,” to exemplify AMCHP’s strategic plan goal centered on supporting and modeling youth-engaged work. YVA is dedicated to elevating the voices and contributions of young people to the MCH discipline, particularly state Title V/ MCH programs. This infrastructure at AMCHP is the foundation of current and future efforts to include all young people’s collective and unique lived experiences, and foster leadership development that advances our programmatic missions and visions.

Since its inception in 2021, Youth Voice Amplified has demonstrated its vital role in ensuring the inclusion of youth’s diverse and unique lived experiences in our organization and the broader maternal and child health (MCH) field, through AMCHP’s various program and policy activities. Each year, the committee identifies MCH and other public health priorities affecting community well-being. Some of these have included: climate change and environmental justice; best practices in data collection efforts from youth and community perspectives; MCH partnership building with other youth-serving organizations; and self-care for the workforce and its stakeholders.  Please contact us at youthvoice@amchp.org to learn more, share some of your upcoming opportunities, and be connected to a YVA committee member.

Recent accomplishments: Taking the lead on facilitating the AMCHP 2024 National Adolescent Health Coordinator Meeting and demonstrating resilience during times of rapid change 

Learn More about the Youth Voice Amplified Committee Members