Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant

Goal: Improve the health of all mothers and children consistent with the applicable health status goals and national health objectives established by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

History: Has operated as a Federal-State partnership for more than 65 years. When the Social Security Act was passed in 1935, the Federal Government, through Title V, pledged its support of State efforts to extend and improve health and welfare services for mothers and children.

Title V has been amended many times over the years to reflect the expansion of the national interest in maternal and child health. It was converted to a block grant program as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1981. Congress later sought to balance the flexibility of the block grant with greater accountability by the States. Through the 1989 OBRA States were required to report on progress made toward key maternal and child health indicators and to provide other program information.

States and Jurisdictions
States and jurisdictions use Title V funds to design and implement a wide range of maternal and child health programs that meet national and State needs. Although specific initiatives may vary among the 59 States and jurisdictions utilizing Title V funds, all programs work to do the following:

• Reduce infant mortality and incidence of handicapping conditions among children
• Increase the number of children appropriately immunized against disease
• Increase the number of children in low-income households who receive assessments and follow-up diagnostic and treatment services
• Provide and ensure access to comprehensive perinatal care for women; preventative and child care services; comprehensive care, including long-term care services, for children with special health care needs; and rehabilitation services for blind and disabled children under 16 years of age who are eligible for Supplemental Security Income
• Facilitate the development of comprehensive, family-centered, community-based, culturally competent, coordinated systems of care for children with special health care needs

MCHB's Division of State and Community Health
MCHB's Division of State and Community Health (DSCH) oversees the day-to-day administration of the Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant Program and acts as liaison to 10 HRSA field offices that serve the States and jurisdictions. Specific DSCH Title V activities include the following:

• Preparing State grant application guidance documents
• Clarifying application and reporting requirements
• Reviewing, negotiating, and approving State grant applications
• Supporting Title V-related technical assistance and consultation services
  
• Developing a national data and information reporting system (the Electronic Reporting Package) for the Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant Program

DSCH also supports the Title V Information System (TVIS), which was developed in collaboration with the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health. The TVIS captures, and makes publicly available on the Internet, data from State and jurisdiction Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant applications and annual reports. These data include national, State, and regional composite data, such as annual expenditures; numbers of people served; State program information; national and State performance and outcome measures; and numbers of calls to State toll-free telephone numbers.

Resources

Understanding Title V of the Social Security Act booklet (Adobe Acrobat - get the free Reader) Summarizes and explains the law. Order a free paper copy.

Contact: HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau Division of State and Community Health, 301-443-2204.