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Title V was enacted
by Congress in 1935 as part of the Social Security Act (SSA). Its
roots, however, go back nearly a century--to the 1912 creation of
the Children's Bureau. Title V is the only federal legislation dedicated
to promoting and improving the health of our nation's mothers and
children; its goals remain consistent with those of its predecessor:
"To serve all children, to try to work out standards of care and
protection which shall give to every child fair chance in the world."
The Title V legislation authorized the creation of the Maternal
and Child Health programs, thereby providing the foundation and
structure needed to meet the nation's goals for healthy mothers
and children.
Since its inception, the Title V program has undergone many adjustments.
The most significant changes occurred in 1981, when Title V was
converted to a block grant program as part of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act (OBRA '81). OBRA '81 consolidated Title V with
five related programs: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for children
with disabilities (Sec. 1615[c] of the SSA); lead-based paint poisoning
prevention programs (Sec. 316 of the Public Health Service [PHS] Act); genetic disease programs (Sec. 1101
of the PHS Act); sudden infant death syndrome programs (Sec. 1131
of the PHS Act); and adolescent pregnancy grants (P.L. 95-626).
The 1981 legislation gave States more leeway in determining how
to use federal funds, allowing them to self-direct money to identified
maternal and child health needs. In 1989 amendments to OBRA provided
stricter rules for application and reporting requirements for States
applying for Title V block grants.
Over the years, the achievements of Title V-supported projects have
been integrated into the ongoing care system for children and families.
In the past 15 years, landmark projects were completed that
- Produced guidelines
for child health supervision from infancy through adolescence
- Influenced
the nature of nutrition care during pregnancy and lactation
- Recommended
standards for prenatal care
- Identified
successful strategies for the prevention of childhood injuries
- Developed
health and safety standards for out-of-home child care facilities
Major changes
to Title V and developments in the program are outlined in the Title
V timeline.
Timeline: Title V Milestones
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1912
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Children's
Bureau created by Congress, placed in Department of
Commerce and Labor
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1935
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Title
V legislation enacted as part of SSA and administered
by Children's Bureau
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1943
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Emergency
Maternity and Infant Care Program enacted (P.L.78-156)
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1963
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Maternal
and Child Health and Mental Retardation (MR) Planning
amendments (MR Programs, Maternal and Infant Care Projects,
Research Program) enacted
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1965
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SSA
amendments (Children and Youth Projects, Training Program,
Dental Projects) enacted
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1967
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SSA
amendments (Family Planning Services and Projects, Intensive
Newborn Projects) enacted
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1969
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Title
V transferred to Public Health Service
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1976
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SSI
Program for Children enacted
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1981
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OBRA
'81 MCH Services Block Grant
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1984
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Emergency
Medical Services for Children Act enacted
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1988
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Pediatric
AIDS Projects developed in Title V set-aside
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1989
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SSA
amendments (accountability of State programs increased)
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1990
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Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) established to administer
Title V
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1991
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Healthy
Start enacted
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1997
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SSA
amendments (Abstinence Education Program) enacted
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1998
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Title
V Information System established by MCHB
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