October 3, 2024

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October 3, 2024

AMCHP Announcements

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AMCHP is Awarded $1.2M to Advance MCH Housing and Food Security Policy Initiatives

AMCHP is pleased to have been awarded a $1.2 million cooperative agreement from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (HRSA MCHB) to build the capacity of public health leaders at the state and local level to effectively use policy approaches related to housing and food security for MCH populations. This effort will directly benefit professionals representing the Title V MCH Services Block Grant, housing/social service agencies, local health departments, and community-based organizations.

This three-year project includes the launch of the MCH Policy Ideation to Action (I2A) Learning Collaborative, which will provide intensive support for six cross-sector Title V-led teams to develop housing and/or food security policy initiatives. AMCHP will also develop and disseminate trainings and resources to assist MCH professionals and their partners in effectively using policy approaches to improve SDoH for MCH populations. Finally, AMCHP will convene an MCH Policy Innovation Subject Matter Expert (SME) Council comprised of more than a dozen federal, national, state, and community-based MCH/SDoH SMEs to leverage and mobilize knowledge, assets, and connections and facilitate alignment.

“We are thrilled to partner with HRSA MCHB on this critical initiative. The MCH Policy Ideation to Action Learning Collaborative will provide state and local public health leaders with the tools, resources, and support they need to address key social determinants of health, such as housing and food security, through innovative policy approaches,” said Terrance E. Moore, Chief Executive Officer of AMCHP. “By fostering cross-sector collaboration, we aim to drive meaningful and sustainable change that will reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for maternal and child health populations across the country.” [continue reading]

AMCHP is Awarded $900,000 to Build Capacity of State Public Health Departments to Access, Strengthen, and Use Data Related to Better Inform Service Provision for Youth & Young Adults

AMCHP is pleased to have been awarded a $900,000 cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce as part of the National Partners Cooperative Agreement Funding initiative that funded 48 organizations to support public health infrastructure and workforce needs.

AMCHP aims to enhance the accessibility and use of youth/adolescent and young adult (YYA) data pertaining to health and social/structural determinants of health for its improved application in public health practice. This enhancement will result in more holistically informed and evidence-based planning and implementation of responsive YYA programs and policies.

The expected outcomes of AMCHP’s work are:

Increased awareness and understanding of data sources, data equity, and inclusion of systematically marginalized YYA populations in YYA-related health data among maternal, child, and adolescent health (MCAH) department staff.
Improved capacity and capability among MCAH health department staff to institutionalize data equity into applicable segments of the life cycles of data pertaining to YYA populations.
Increased capacity of MCAH health department staff to develop and maintain diverse partnerships among BIPOC, LGBTQ+, rural, and other YYA communities that are marginalized or not represented in existing data sources.

This project is supported by the CDC under grant number NU38PW000010 for $900,000 over five years. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by the CDC or the U.S. Government.

New MCH Bridges Podcast Episode – Care Maps: The Power of Mapping Support for Children and Families

Our newest MCH Bridges episode is now live! Episode 20 – Care Maps: The Power of Mapping Support for Children and Families

This episode, led by previous AMCHP Family Engagement Intern Hanna Howell, dives into the world of care mapping, as a continued conversation from a skills-building session at the 2024 AMCHP Annual Conference. Care mapping serves as a powerful tool to help families and professionals coordinate and enhance support and care for children and youth with special health care needs. By visualizing the complex network of care, these maps improve communication and foster a shared understanding among all involved. This episode also explores innovative uses of care mapping, including how it can aid youth in articulating their mental health needs.

Tune in to join our guest speakers Becky Burns and Mahala Turner in discovering how care mapping can transform the way we approach and manage health care for children, families and beyond!

Why tune in to MCH Bridges?

MCH Bridges is intended to help our listeners create new connections to MCH leaders, organizations, and ideas. We aim to inspire and guide listeners towards actions that will improve the systems that impact MCH populations. 

Who should listen to MCH Bridges?

MCH Bridges is designed for Title V MCH & CYSHCN leaders, state and jurisdictional health department staff, individuals with lived experience and their families, MCH faculty and students, public health professionals, and others wanting to learn more about supporting MCH populations and equitable systems of care. 

AMCHP Building Resilience from Lived Experience Lessons Learned Snapshot & Compilation Video Now Available

In November 2022, AMCHP launched the Building Resilience from Lived Experience anthology, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD).

Originally aimed at creating a toolkit for improving emergency responses for maternal and child health (MCH) populations, this project has instead become a collection of personal and professional stories highlighting the impacts of emergencies to build evidence for equitable response strategies, prompt action at all levels, and ensure others with lived experience feel seen.

With September marking the observance of National Preparedness Month, AMCHP is excited to share a snapshot of lessons learned throughout this journey, as well as a compilation video with highlights from the anthology contributions, recorded conference panels, and reflections from our team about the project and its significance.

Please join us in recognizing the incredible AMCHP staff who created and executed this project, celebrating the courageous contributors of the anthology, and thanking our partners at NCBDDD and funders at the CDC.

Explore our compilation video and lessons learned snapshot, and revisit and share the series with your network to further its impact.

New Agenda Updates Title V Federal-State Maternal & Child Health Partnership Meeting

AMCHP is partnering with the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to convene the 2024 Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Federal-State Partnership Meeting from October 20-23 at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Updated information regarding the Partnership Meeting agenda is now featured on our webpage. This information is intended to aid in decisions about who should attend the Title V MCH Federal-State Partnership Meeting and to let current registrants know what to expect. HRSA MCHB and AMCHP are pleased to be crafting this event based on feedback we have been hearing from states and partners via formal and informal communications. If you have any other suggestions about what you would like to see in the meeting, please email partnershipmeeting@amchp.org. We would love to have your feedback.

Register for the meeting, and visit our webpage for more information on event details, theme, location, food, and preliminary agenda!

Recent AMCHP Announcements

AMCHP Annual Conference

The AMCHP Annual Conference is one of the largest gatherings of maternal and child health (MCH) professionals in the United States. Every year, our conference aims to highlight MCH programs’ impact at all levels on women, children, and families and to provide participants with tools and resources to develop, enhance, and sustain vital MCH programs and services.

Save the dates to attend AMCHP 2025 in person in Washington, DC! Subscribe to our Annual Conference Newsletter to be the first to receive updates and information about AMCHP 2025.

Early Bird Registration for AMCHP 2025 is Open Through January 17

Early bird registration for the 2025 AMCHP Annual Conference is open!

You can now take advantage of our early bird pricing to attend our much-awaited annual conference in person from March 15 – 18, 2025, at The Westin, Washington DC Downtown, in Washington, DC.

Don’t miss out on our early bird rates! Register by January 17, 2025, and complete your payment later to secure your spot at the best price.

This year, the conference theme is Partnering for Impact. This theme embodies our collective commitment to creating a world where everyone has equitable access and outcomes, as well as the opportunity to thrive. It’s a powerful reminder of why we partner to make things happen.

Register now for an outstanding opportunity to place results in the spotlight at AMCHP 2025 as we continue our journey to impacting our communities for the better.

The 2025 AMCHP Annual Conference will be an in-person-only event. AMCHP is delighted to have offered a hybrid experience for the past two years, and while we will miss seeing you in the virtual space, we cannot wait to see you in person in Washington, DC!

The AMCHP 2025 Website is Live

The conference website with updates and information about AMCHP 2025 is now live. Visit it now to learn about:

The schedule at-a-glance
Registration
Hotel & travel information
Things to do in Washington, DC
Exhibits & sponsor information
Health & Safety at AMCHP 2025
Information about AMCHP, including accessibility at the conference, the meeting conduct policy, and how to connect with us.

Visit the AMCHP 2025 website regularly! This website will be updated frequently to reflect the latest about our 2025 conference.

The AMCHP 2025 Theme: Partnering for Impact

In 2024, AMCHP’s theme of Partnering with Purpose highlighted how essential meaningful and purposeful partnerships are for achieving our goals in maternal and child health (MCH). The theme of partnership resonated deeply and widely with our participants, leading us to revisit it in 2025 with the theme Partnering for Impact. This theme captures our collective commitment to making our world better – where people have equitable access, equitable outcomes, and the opportunity to thrive. This theme takes us a step further in our purposeful partnerships towards the “why” of partnership—we partner to make things happen.

Partnering for Impact places results in the spotlight. Our collective work together matters because of what we hope to accomplish together. We model partnering intentionally to change the status quo, disrupt harmful narratives, and close the gaps in MCH outcomes. We partner not just because it looks good on paper or because it feels good to work with like-minded people but because we want to impact our communities for the better. We are difference-makers. We are change-makers. We are partnering for impact.

AMCHP’s goal is to have at least 50% of accepted proposal submissions directly address the conference theme. Visit our conference page to explore our AMCHP 2025 learning objectives.

AMCHP Events & Webinars

Happening TODAY – Prioritizing Self-care While in a Leadership Role Webinar, hosted by AMCHP’s Family LEAD Committee

Join AMCHP’s Family LEAD Committee for a six-session series, Highlighting Family Leadership within Title V, that will feature a different topic for each discussion.

Our upcoming session, Prioritizing Self-care While in a Leadership Role, will be held on October 3 from 3-4 PM ET. In the demanding roles of family leaders, balancing self-care with professional responsibilities can seem impossible, yet it is crucial to prevent burnout and vicarious trauma. Join us for a discussion on how to keep your “bucket” full by developing self-awareness skills and equipping yourself with tools to maintain mental, emotional, and physical well-being amidst the challenges of working with families, policies, and advocacy.

Learn more and register for this and the final two webinars in the series on October 15 and October 31!

Legislation & Policy

Explore our Maternal & Child Health Bill Tracker for more information about pending federal legislation to improve maternal health. Also, download AMCHP’s 2024 Federal Policy Agenda outlining where we are focusing our advocacy work this year.

Subscribe to AMCHP’s Legislative Alerts and Policy Digest to stay up to date with the latest policy information.

AMCHP Leads National Organization Letter Supporting Funding for HRSA’s Title V MCH Block Grant, including SPRANS

AMCHP is concerned about the proposed $15.848 million reduction in funding for the Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS) portion of the Title V MCH Block Grant in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) by the House of Representatives. This marks the second consecutive year that the House of Representatives has proposed substantial cuts to SPRANS funding. A loss of SPRANS funding could detrimentally impact MCH populations, providers, public health professionals, and trainees in a sweeping way. On September 24th, AMCHP led 77 national organizations and academic institutions in a letter to Congressional leadership supporting increased funding for the MCH Block Grant in FY25, including for SPRANS and the state formula fund. Please email Amani Echols (aechols@amchp.org) to share how reduced SPRANS funding would affect your Title V programs and MCH populations. AMCHP will continue to uplift your stories when advocating for robust Title V funding.

Read the full Legislative Alert.

AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls

Thank you to those of you who joined us for our last AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Hall! You can find the full recordings of past Town Halls on our Government Affairs webpage.

Town Halls occur on the second Thursday of every month from 2-3 PM ET, including our next edition on October 10. We invite you to register for all future Town Halls at this registration link.

Opportunities & Funding

AMCHP Career Center: Connecting Talent with Opportunity

AMCHP lists the top jobs available in our industry. Access the AMCHP Career Center to search and apply for open positions or post your jobs and opportunities! Search for Jobs | Post a Job.

Partner Events & Webinars

Webinar on Health Equity in Emergency Preparedness and Response

When preparing and responding to emergencies, it is crucial to embed health equity from the start to ensure that all people have equal access to life-saving information, services, and programs. Emergencies, such as a natural disaster or a pandemic, can have devastating impacts on whole communities. People in racial and ethnic minority communities, people with disabilities, people living in geographically isolated areas, and other groups often face systemic barriers and health disparities that are exacerbated during an emergency.

Join our partners at the  CDC’s Office of Health Equity (OHE)  on October 23, 3-4:30 PM ET to learn about the importance of health equity in emergency response and preparedness. OHE and CDC’s Office of Readiness and Response will present on its emergency response work, including the establishment of the Chief Health Equity Officer (CHEO) unit in CDC emergency responses. Additional presenters include subject matter experts from Choose Healthy Life, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, and National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS). 

Publications & Resources

Urban Institute Upward Mobility Data Dashboard Now Live

The Urban Institute Upward Mobility Initiative is thrilled to share that its Upward Mobility Data Dashboard is now live! This tool was designed to help communities use local data to promote upward mobility and racial equity for residents.

The Urban’s Upward Mobility Initiative provides local leaders with data and tools to create community conditions that lead to economic success, power and autonomy, and dignity and belonging for all residents, especially those who have been excluded from prosperity. Learn more about the initiative.

New Research Report on the Maternal and Child Health Workforce: A Snapshot of Current and Future Needs from Public Health WINS 2021

MCH professionals, essential to delivering services such as those related to children with special health care needs and family planning, face critical staffing shortages at state and local health departments, necessitating approximately 6,500 additional full-time equivalents.

To address this, AMCHP, alongside the Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the National MCH Workforce Development Center, collaborated with the de Beaumont Foundation to develop the MCH Module for the 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS). This module gathers data on the specific needs and competencies of the MCH workforce, providing valuable insights to help enhance support and professional development for those working in governmental public health settings.

Read and share this new research report, with AMCHP’s Caroline Stampfel, Chief Strategy & Program Officer featured as an author, that summarizes and examines data collected from the first-ever MCH module and outlines key considerations for using these data to support the governmental MCH public health workforce in state and local health departments.

New Report Shows Progress in Maternal Health Care Through Safer Childbirth Cities Initiative

Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA) published a new report, Supporting Communities, Transforming Maternal Health: A Spotlight on the Safer Childbirth Cities Initiative, highlighting the successes of grantees and experiences of birthing people impacted by the Safer Childbirth Cities Initiative (SCC). SCC was supported by Merck for Mothers, along with several national and local philanthropic partners including AMCHP.

This new report offers practical examples from SCC to others in the field who are implementing community-led solutions while calling for more support for maternal health initiatives at the local level. Read the news release from Merck for Mothers, and access the full report.