Menendez, Lautenberg Announce $2.6 Million to Expand Home Visitation for At-Risk Families

Washington - United States Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) announce that New Jersey has been awarded nearly $2.6 million in competitive grants to support the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. With this grant, New Jersey has received over $4.5 million, allowing the state to expand its Home Visitation Initiative to more at-risk families. The funds were awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) within the Department of Health and Human Services.

"This health care funding will help us support more New Jersey children growing up in at-risk households so that they and their families can thrive," said Senator Menendez, key architect of the program. "Evidence-based home visitation programs have been proven to improve the prenatal health, development, education and economic self-sufficiency of low-income children and families. This funding will go a long way towards achieving these goals in New Jersey."

"This grantputs the health care reform law to work for New Jersey families,"said Senator Lautenberg, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which funds HHS. "With this funding New Jersey will be able toimplement programs that provide access to health careand social services forfamiliesand their young children.I will continue to fight to make sure that federal programs like this area priority."

During the health care reform debate, Senator Menendez worked to successfully incorporate the MIECHV program in the final law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148). Through this 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. These resources include services such as health care, early education, parenting skills, child abuse prevention, and nutrition education or assistance. New Jersey joins 49 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa in receiving $224 million to help families across our nation better access services for their children..

Included as part of New Jersey's grant award is $673,000 specifically allocated to an Evidence Based Home Visiting Program site. This competitive awarded grant is made available to states who have demonstrated the interest and capacity to successfully carryout a home visitation program. This program is the first of its kind to require that home visitation services meet rigorous scientific standards proving effectiveness.

###