U.S. House passes Kelly-backed bill investing in mothers, children
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) voted in favor of the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022, bipartisan legislation that reauthorizes the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program and increases federal investment over five years. The bill supports expectant mothers and parents of young children to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
The bill is named after Jackie Walorski, the late Indiana Congresswoman who died in August.
"Our youth are 25 percent of our population, but they are 100 percent of our future. This bill gives mothers and children a critical hand up, not a hand out, to ensure their future is much brighter," Kelly said. "I was honored to serve with Ms. Walorski on the Ways & Means Committee and I saw firsthand just how passionate she was about this issue. This legislation not only carries on Ms. Walorski's legacy, but it will continue to strengthen the American family for years to come."
The Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022 includes:
- A $100 million increase in base funding starting in fiscal year 2023
- Phased in additional federal matching funding starting in fiscal year 2024 which requires a 25 percent state match (for every $1 in state investment, $3 federal contribution)
- Doubles the tribal set-aside (from three percent to six percent) starting in fiscal year 2023
- Dedicated funding (two percent set-aside) for workforce support, retention, and case management
- Set-aside funding for research, evaluation, and administration (three percent) and technical assistance (two percent)
- An increase over fiscal year 2021 state allocations for every state and territory
- Requires a new, annually updated “outcomes dashboard” to help Congress and the public track MIECHV’s success in improving family outcomes in every state or territory.
- Requires a new annual report to Congress to allow Members to better oversee the program and make improvements in the future.
- Requires HHS to work with states, beneficiary advocates, and home visiting models to reduce administrative burden by focusing data collection and monitoring on improving family outcomes, instead of details of local site financial accounting.
- Adds a transparent, predictable funding formula, which targets new funding to states with more eligible families using their share of children (and poor children) under age five.
- Clear, predictable “maintenance of effort” requirement for states and territories.
- Clarifies limited uses of virtual home visiting as a model enhancement to an approved model, and requires that all home visiting models provide at least one in-person visit per year.
- Limits state administrative spending to 10 percent of grants and requires grantees to focus their program dollars on targeted, intensive services for at-risk families.
- Maintains the current strong focus on evidence-based home visiting models and practices.