Welcome to the MCH Innovations Database, is a searchable repository of “what’s working” in MCH (aka practice-based evidence) which includes effective practices and policies from the field that are positively impacting MCH populations. Practices are assessed along a continuum and receive a designation of Cutting-Edge, Emerging, Promising, or Best depending on their work’s demonstrated impact, among other criteria. Policies are assessed against a rubric and then given a designation of Evidence-Informed Policy Development, Policy Implementation, or Policy Evaluation.
For additional MCH specific evidence-based/informed strategies, check out the MCHbest Database which summarizes the science of what works from the peer-reviewed literature.
Promising Practice
Chicago Collaborative for Maternal Health QI Collaborative
The Chicago Collaborative for Maternal Health QI Collaborative developed, implemented, and evaluated a quality improvement initiative connecting high-risk prenatal patients to primary care after delivery and routine postpartum care.
Read MorePromising Practice
Hand in Hand
Hand in Hand supports the emotional well-being of children and the adults who care for them through five transformative caregiving and peer-support tools. Hand in Hand is continually focused on promoting the protective factors that address the root causes of disparities in child outcomes, and on supporting diverse communities to promote equity and justice.
Read MoreEmerging Practice
Gizmo Initiative
The Gizmo Initiative takes an upstream approach to support the mental health and wellness of youth through its book for youth (Gizmo's Pawesome Guide to Mental Health), accompanying elementary school curriculum and website of resources, activities, and materials for youth and adults, alike.
Read MoreBest Practice
Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) Kindergarten Readiness Program
SPARK (Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids) is a parent-focused home visiting program for families of three- and four-year-old children. SPARK cultivates school readiness by strengthening each child’s math, early literacy, and fine and gross motor skills, and social-emotional development; all services are provided in a culturally relevant manner. The program has been designed to identify the basic needs of families, as well as any developmental delays, specialized learning needs, and social-emotional issues. The school districts are partners in the program, collaborating with SPARK to provide smooth transitions into kindergarten and ensure the well-being of the families.
Read MoreEmerging Practice
PATCH Toolkits
The PATCH for Parents and PATCH for Teens Toolkits were created for educators of all kinds (working in schools, community and faith-based organizations, business, health care systems, and public health agencies) who want to help young people gain more independence and responsibility over their health and health care decisions.
Read MoreEmerging Practice
Resilient Children and Families Program (RCFP)
The Resilient Children and Families Program is a two-generation approach that alleviates family stress and the long-term impacts of adversity by promoting the social and emotional wellness of young children and the adults that care for them.
Read MorePromising Practice
Maimonides Pediatric Primary Care
The Maimonides Pediatric Primary Care "Building Resilience in Children, Families, Infants and Toddlers" (BRIC FIT) initiative addresses a critical need for early childhood emotional and behavioral health within the pediatric medical home by using integrated mental health care in conjunction with a comprehensive social needs screening and referral program to address psychosocial needs for our most underserved families with children ages zero to five.
Read MoreCutting-Edge Practice
PowerMom FIRST
PowerMom FIRST is a well-established bilingual (Spanish and English) app-based, user-centric research platform that serves as a database for a range of valuable longitudinal health data throughout pregnancy.
Read MorePromising Practice
TELE-ASD-PEDS (TAP) Telehealth Evaluation Model
The TELE-ASD-PEDS (TAP) Telehealth Evaluation Model is a system designed to increase access to autism diagnostic consultation by allowing clinicians to consult with families and other providers remotely, using an interactive assessment tool designed specifically for these purposes.
Read MoreCutting-Edge Practice
Cultural Brokering
Cultural Brokering is a practice focused on representing African American, Arabic, Asian, Latino/a/x, and refugee/immigrant communities to provide enhanced one-to-one emotional, informational, and systems navigational support to culturally & linguistically diverse families of children with disabilities and special health care needs, and partner with agencies in the community to improve equitable access to services and supports.
Read MoreEmerging Practice
ASD in Primary Care Education (ASD-PRIME)
ASD in Primary Care Education (ASD-PRIME) is designed to address pragmatic barriers surrounding primary care providers’ access to training and supports for ASD by utilizing open-access tools and online modules targeting enhanced screening, diagnostic, and post-diagnostic care coordination protocols within the context of primary care and other early care settings.
Read MorePolicy Development
CenteringPregnancy – Medicaid Enhanced Payment for Group Prenatal Care
CenteringPregnancy - Medicaid Enhanced Payment for Group Prenatal Care is a policy focused on enhanced payment and alternative payment models for evidence-based group prenatal care. These are effective strategies for states to incentivize providers to utilize a model of care that reduces health disparities and increases birth outcomes while saving payers precious reinvestment dollars.
Read MoreThis project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U01MC00001 Partnership for State Title V MCH Leadership Community Cooperative Agreement ($1,696,335). 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 HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.