Despite the current uncertainty around the finalization of Fiscal Year 2026 funding, the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) continues to provide leadership in strengthening and safeguarding the core systems that support maternal and child health (MCH) nationwide.
On January 7, AMCHP submitted formal comments to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly supporting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to extend data collection for the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). In its letter, AMCHP emphasized PRAMS’ essential role in meeting statutory Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant requirements, informing statewide needs assessments and five-year planning cycles, and supporting coordination across federal agencies, including CDC and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). AMCHP also highlighted PRAMS’ more than 35-year track record; broad participation across 46 states, two cities, and two territories; and its evolution to improve efficiency while maintaining a reasonable respondent burden. Read and view the letter.
Protecting the continuity of PRAMS data collection is essential to maintaining a strong and responsive MCH infrastructure. This population-based surveillance system provides state-specific, actionable data on women’s experiences before, during, and after pregnancy and covers approximately 81 percent of U.S. live births. For many states and jurisdictions, PRAMS is the only source of data on critical maternal and infant health indicators, including maternal mental health, prenatal and postpartum care, breastfeeding, infant safe sleep, and maternity care experiences. These data are foundational to evidence-based policymaking, program design, and public health accountability. Disruptions to PRAMS would undermine decades of longitudinal data, weaken accountability, and limit states’ ability to address maternal mortality and morbidity. Continued OMB approval ensures that federal and state leaders retain access to timely, comparable, and actionable data needed to improve outcomes for mothers, infants, and families nationwide.
AMCHP will continue to press for robust investments into MCH programs, and our Government Affairs Team will continue to monitor this situation and provide additional updates. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Government Affairs Team with questions: Sherie Lou Santos (ssantos@amchp.org) and Gabrielle Galusha (ggalusha@amchp.org).
