Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for American Progress released a new column looking at the critical role home visiting programs play in mitigating the mental and emotional toll the coronavirus may have on expecting mothers and families with young children. The analysis looks at how times of crisis can lead to further incidents of substance abuse, child abuse, and intimate partner violence—all of which impair children’s development—and how the coronavirus threatens to stretch thin an already inadequate home visiting system just at the time it is needed most.
The piece includes a series of recommendations to respond to the crisis in the short term as well as how policymakers can fortify the system for the long term, including:
- Prioritize a one-time $100 million appropriation for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program to help providers facilitate and families access services online.
- Allow virtual visits to be considered home visits by breaking links between funding that is currently tied to in-person visits.
- Preserve the existing home visiting infrastructure and maintain all staffing levels and funding for MIECHV programs.
Please click here to read “Home Visiting: A Lifeline During the Coronavirus Pandemic” by Cristina Novoa.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected] or 202.741.6292.
To find the latest CAP resources on the coronavirus, please visit our coronavirus resource page.