September 10, 2026

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September 10, 2026

AMCHP Announcements

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New MCH Bridges Podcast Episode – Episode 23: Native Youth Voices on Domestic Violence Prevention

Our latest MCH Bridges episode, developed in partnership with the National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB) Tribal Youth Advisory Council, centers the voices of Native youth leading domestic violence prevention work in their communities. This episode shares an overview of the realities of domestic violence in Native communities, how young people are stepping up to support one another and their communities, and the challenges that keep young people from getting the resources and support they need.

Tune in now to listen and learn from guest speakers Taralynn Chesley (Curyung & Supiaq) and Joelnell Momberg (Blackfeet) from NIHB’s Tribal Youth Advisory Council, who share their experiences and insights on how young people are building safer, stronger communities and the importance of creating supportive, informed communities.

Content warning: This episode discusses domestic violence and may be emotionally difficult for some listeners. We encourage listeners to seek additional resources to learn more about supporting survivors and promoting safety. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic, dating, or sexual violence, contact the StrongHearts Native Helpline by calling or texting 1-844-762-8483 (1-844-7NATIVE) or visiting strongheartshelpline.org. StrongHearts is a free, confidential, anonymous, and culturally grounded advocacy service for Native American and Alaska Native survivors, as well as their family members and friends. Advocates are knowledgeable about Native cultures, tribal sovereignty, and community-specific resources and are available 24/7. You can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7223 (800-799-SAFE), text “START” to 88788, or visit thehotline.org.

Why tune in to MCH Bridges?

MCH Bridges is intended to help our listeners create new connections to maternal and child health (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 and families with experience navigating maternal and child health systems, MCH faculty and students, public health professionals, and others wanting to learn more about supporting MCH populations.

Deadline Approaching! Submit to AMCHP’s MCH Innovations Database by September 16

AMCHP invites you to submit your work to the MCH Innovations Database ahead of our Fall 2026 Review! This is your opportunity to showcase your practices, policies, or tools that are advancing MCH and strengthening communities.

Deadline for Fall 2026 Review: Submit by Wednesday, September 16, to be included in this review cycle. Submissions on or after September 17 will be rolled over to be considered in Spring 2027. All application materials, including submission forms for each practice or policy designation, are currently available on AMCHP’s Innovation Hub webpage.

AMCHP also invites community-based organizations to submit their practices to the Hub, regardless of whether the practice has been evaluated by experimental or “traditional” methods. We believe in the power of community- and practice-defined evidence and promote its use in MCH practice.

Submissions to the database are assessed along a practice continuum and, if accepted, receive a designation of Cutting-Edge, Emerging, Promising, or Best Practice, depending on the practice’s demonstrated impact among other criteria. The Innovation Hub has also expanded to include tools and policies; Policies have their own criteria to sort them into the appropriate designation including Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. Tools and policies are accepted on a rolling basis and can be submitted at any point.

How to Submit a Practice? Access the practice submission forms on our webpage and learn more about how you can submit your practice for review! All submissions must be sent to evidence@amchp.org by September 16 to be considered for Fall review, but are still accepted on a rolling basis. 

Not sure which designation to submit to? Check out our Minimum Criteria Checklist  to figure out which designation is right for your practice.

How to Submit a Policy? Access the policy submission forms on our webpage and learn more about how you can submit your policy for review! All submissions should be sent to evidence@amchp.org by September 16 to be considered for Fall review, but are still accepted on a rolling basis.

Not sure which designation to submit to? Email us at evidence@amchp.org.

Refer a Practice or Policy: Don’t have anything to submit but know of one that would be a great fit for the MCH Innovations Database? Refer a practice/policy to the database on our website, and we’ll reach out to them.

Need Help? Our team is here to support you! Email evidence@amchp.org with any questions about submission categories, requirements, evidence, or whether your evaluation data would be appropriate for the database.

Call for Proposals for AMCHP 2027 Open Until September 30

Get ready to present at AMCHP 2027! The Call for Proposals for the 2027 AMCHP Annual Conference (AMCHP 2027) is open until September 30. AMCHP 2027, one of the largest gatherings of maternal and child health leaders and thinkers in the U.S., will take place in person in Washington, DC, from March 6 – 9, 2027.

Each year, the AMCHP conference attracts over 1,000 participants from across the country. For AMCHP 2027, presenters will have the opportunity to showcase their work on a prominent stage through various session formats, including Workshops, Lightning Talks, Student and Early Career Professional Grand Rounds, and Discussions. These sessions will focus on the latest developments in maternal and child health, aligned with our 2027 theme: “Recharge, Reimagine, and Rise.“

New resource alert! Interested in submitting a proposal for the “Epidemiology, Technology, & Evidence for the Future of MCH” track? Download our Epidemiology Tip Sheet – a guide providing additional information on how to submit an abstract focused on this track.

For more information, please visit the call for proposals website and watch the recording of our informational webinar to learn about the submission process.

AMCHP Events & Webinars

Webinar: Building Meaningful Partnerships with People Impacted by Perinatal Substance Use

How can we meaningfully engage and support people impacted by perinatal substance use as partners, collaborators, and professionals? Join AMCHP on September 30, from 1 – 2:30 PM ET, for an interactive webinar exploring important considerations for working and collaborating with people impacted by perinatal substance use. Presenters will share information and strategies for engaging and supporting people in these roles, drawing on their own personal and professional experiences.

The session will begin with lightning presentations from all four presenters, followed by active, topic-focused breakout rooms led by each presenter. Given the sensitive nature of the topics discussed, this webinar will NOT be recorded. Attendees should come prepared to actively engage with the presenters and one another.

By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:

Describe key considerations for identifying and engaging people impacted by perinatal substance use as partners, collaborators, and professionals.
Identify at least two approaches for fostering meaningful interpersonal support in professional settings for people impacted by perinatal substance use.
Explain at least two organizational processes or policies that foster supportive, sustainable workforce integration of people impacted by perinatal substance use.

Featured Speakers

Meghann Perry, CARC RCPF — Educator and Thought Leader, Meghann Perry Group
Lucy Battles, CADC-R, RCP-F — UNC Horizons, Lead Justice-Involved Peer Navigator & Evaluation Assistant; MoMMAs Voices, Patient Family Partner
Cheri Bryer, CLC, CRSW, CHW — Perinatal /Postpartum Doula, Senior Perinatal Peer Support Educator/Coordinator NHPQC, Dartmouth Health, Lebanon, N.H.
Dora Dantzler-Wright, BS, CADC, NCRS, CPRS, RCT — Founder, CEO & Executive Director, Chicago Recovering Communities Coalition

Space is limited, so register now! Registration will close once capacity is reached. Because this is an interactive, live-only session, please register only if you plan to attend.

ICYMI! Webinar: Aligning Early Childhood Systems Through Shared Outcome Measures to Support Nurturing Family Environments

This webinar highlights how shared outcome measures can drive early childhood collaborations that support nurturing family environments for young children and their families. Specifically, the webinar:

Explored how early childhood-related Title V National Outcome Measures can serve as a framework to anchor cross-program collaboration across Title V, Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV), Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS), Infant Toddler Court Programs (ITCP), and Transforming Pediatrics for Early Childhood (TPEC) programs.
Highlighted how teams in Massachusetts, Ohio, and South Dakota are operationalizing this idea of aligning measures to support nurturing family environments.

View the webinar recording and slides.

AMCHP Information & Resources

Introducing AMCHP’s Revamped Roadmap for Early Childhood Collaboration

Alignment across early childhood programs doesn’t happen automatically. It requires intentional action. This was the idea behind AMCHP’s Roadmap for Early Childhood Collaboration, first released in 2020 and updated in 2023. We are now excited to share a newly revamped, interactive edition: Aligning Early Childhood Systems: Ten Recommendations and a Roadmap for Action. This resource is designed to support states in strengthening how the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant, Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV), Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS), and Healthy Start programs work together in practice.

The revamped resource reflects lessons learned from putting the Roadmap into practice with six states and includes updated program priorities and measures. The resource is organized into three parts: a brief primer on the opportunity for alignment, ten recommendations that describe key conditions and approaches for stronger alignment, and a practical Roadmap Tool that offers step-by-step guidance to help you assess current efforts and take concrete next steps. It also features a new table showing how shared and individual measures across Title V, MIECHV, ECCS, and Healthy Start programs align with Title V’s National Outcome Measures.

Although built with Title V, ECCS, MIECHV, and Healthy Start programs in mind, this resource is designed for anyone working in early childhood programs who wants to improve systems of care and outcomes for families and young children. Whether your state has an established cross-program collaborative or is just getting started, you can use this resource to:

Understand common challenges and opportunities for alignment
Self-assess current approaches to coordination and alignment
Identify and implement strategies to strengthen alignment toward shared early childhood outcomes

The Roadmap Tool walks you through six steps for establishing or strengthening a core collaboration team, starting with scanning for existing coordinating bodies and strategic plans and ending with institutionalizing the collaboration. Each step includes the purpose and rationale, activities to complete, and outputs to document.

Learn more and access the full resource on our website.

Legislation & Policy

Explore our Maternal & Child Health Bill Tracker for more information about pending federal legislation to improve maternal health. Additionally, download AMCHP’s Federal Policy Agenda, which outlines our current advocacy focus.

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

AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls

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

Please register to join us for our next edition on October 8, from 2-3 PM ET at this registration link.

Opportunities & Funding

Free Resource for Job Seekers – The AMCHP Career Center: Connecting Talent with Opportunity

AMCHP offers access to top job opportunities in our industry. Job seekers can access the AMCHP Career Center to search and apply for open positions at no cost, while employers can post their jobs for a fee! Search for Jobs | Post a Job.

Do you know someone who is looking for a new job or opportunity? Share the AMCHP Career Center with them!

Partner Events & Webinars

Relias Webinar: Preparing Every Rural Hospital for Obstetrical Emergencies

As maternity care deserts continue to expand and more rural hospitals close labor and delivery units, emergency departments are increasingly called upon to stabilize pregnant and postpartum patients experiencing life-threatening complications. At the same time, CMS has introduced new Conditions of Participation that require hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) with emergency services to maintain evidence-based obstetrical emergency protocols and provide ongoing staff training.

Join Relias on Thursday, September 24, at 2:00 PM ET for an educational webinar exploring what these new requirements mean for rural healthcare organizations. During the webinar, participants will review the CMS expectations, discuss practical steps to strengthen emergency readiness, and Relias will share insights from research on current maternal health practices and training gaps. Whether your organization provides obstetrical services or not, you’ll leave with actionable strategies to prepare your teams, support compliance efforts, and improve care for obstetrical emergencies.

Learning objectives:

Explain the CMS obstetrical emergency readiness requirements for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals.
Identify common preparedness gaps that can impact emergency response and survey readiness.
Describe strategies to strengthen obstetrical emergency protocols, workforce education, and competency management.
Apply best practices to improve readiness for maternal emergencies in rural healthcare settings.

Learn more and register.