Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022

The Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022

This bill reauthorizes through FY2027, increases funding for, and modifies the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. This program supports home visits for expectant and new parents who live in communities that are at-risk for poor maternal and child health outcomes.

Changes to the program include

• setting out requirements for allocating program funds;
• increasing the percentage of funds reserved for tribal entities;
• establishing a publicly available dashboard that reports program outcomes;
• requiring activities to reduce unnecessary data collection, reporting, and other administrative requirements of the program; and
• allowing for virtual home visits (provided certain conditions are met).

The bill also reduces funding for the Medicare Improvement Fund.

Bill 117 HR 8876, also known as the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022, is a piece of legislation that aims to reauthorize and strengthen the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program. The MIECHV program provides funding to states and territories to support voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services for at-risk pregnant women and families with young children.

The bill was introduced by Representative Jackie Walorski and seeks to extend the MIECHV program for an additional five years, through fiscal year 2027. It also includes provisions to increase funding for the program, improve accountability and oversight, and enhance the quality of home visiting services provided to families.

Specifically, the bill includes requirements for states to develop and implement a comprehensive needs assessment to identify at-risk populations and target resources accordingly. It also includes provisions to ensure that home visiting programs are culturally competent and responsive to the needs of diverse communities. Additionally, the bill includes measures to strengthen the evaluation and reporting requirements of the MIECHV program, in order to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used effectively and that the program is achieving its intended outcomes. This includes requirements for states to collect and report data on program performance and participant outcomes. Overall, the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022 aims to support and strengthen the MIECHV program in order to improve outcomes for at-risk pregnant women and families with young children. It emphasizes evidence-based practices, accountability, and quality improvement to ensure that families receive the support they need to thrive.