MIECHV Advancing Health Equity in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Maternal & Child HealthDec 19 2023

The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Advancing Health Equity in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency project examined how lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic in communities with MIECHV-funded home visiting programs can help us understand the role of home visiting in advancing health equity. The project, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), included two phases and used a mixed-methods approach that incorporated 1) secondary data analysis and 2) case studies in five communities across the United States with MIECHV-funded home visiting programs.

Child Trends collected data from families, home visiting staff, social service staff, and other key informants across the five case study communities and developed a community spotlight for each site. Findings from the case studies and secondary analysis of COVID-19 data, social determinants of health indicators, and demographics are intended to inform policymakers and other stakeholders about 1) the policy and health context of each community before the onset of the pandemic and 2) the ways in which home visiting responded and supported families throughout the crisis. A final report with recommendations based on findings from this study will help HRSA understand the role MIECHV played in advancing health equity during the pandemic.

Visit our profiles of the five case study communities here.