Sens. Menendez, Booker Announce More than $1.9M to Expand Home Visiting

NEWARK, NJ - U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-NJ) today announced that New Jersey has been awarded $1,922,005 in federal funding as part of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECH-V)Program established by the Affordable Care Act. The funds will enable the state to expandevidence-basedhome visiting services to women during pregnancy and parents with children up to age five.

"This fundingwill help expand New Jersey's home visiting programs to reach more soon-to-be mothers and parents with young children,"said Sen. Menendez. "These evidence-based programs are proven to help new mothers, their babies and their families succeed. I am committed to making sure that thesefamilieshave the support and resources they need to ensure their children's healthy growth and development."

"Home visiting programs have proven effective in supporting parents and mothers-to-be as they adjust and prepare for the responsibility of parenthood," said Sen Booker. "This federal funding enables us to provide much-needed services to promote the health and well-being of families and communities throughout our state."

Senator Menendez worked to successfully include the Home Visiting program in the Affordable Care Act. Earlier this year, as the MIECH-V Program was set to expire, Senator Menendez wasinstrumental insecuring a year extension of the program as part of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-93). Without his efforts, new mothers and their babies in New Jersey and throughout the United States would not be able to continuebenefitingfrom these evidence-based home visiting services.

The Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) runs the Home Visiting Program with the Administration for Children and Families. Through the program, nurses, social workers, or other professionals visit at-risk families in their homes to evaluate their living situation and provide information on resources available to improve the health, educational, and economic opportunities forat-risk children. Resources include services such as health care, early education, parenting skills, child abuse prevention, and nutrition education or assistance.

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