Title V Maternal Child Health Block Grant
Federal-State partnership program to improve the health of mothers and children
Overview
Established in 1936 with the passing of the Social Security Act, the goal of the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant is to improve the health and well-being of mothers, infants, and children, including children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN). Title V supports a wide range of services such as workforce and policy development, collecting and analyzing population-level data, and providing gap-filling health care services for CYSHCN.
Whether you are a parent, government official, advocate, service provider, or member of the general public, the Alaska MCH Block Grant likely touches you or a family member's life. The program collects input related to existing services, population needs, and emerging issues throughout the year.
Provide feedback
One of our guiding principles is to keep the voice and input from our community partners central to our work and decision-making. Fill out our survey to provide us with feedback on our current priorities and activities.
Provide feedbackNeeds assessment
Every five years, we conduct a statewide needs assessment to review priorities and update our activities to support maternal and child health services in Alaska through the Title V Block Grant. State MCH staff use the selected priorities as a tool to focus efforts, align resources, and to positively impact the lives of families in Alaska, including those with children and youth with special health care needs.
Needs assessment results
Contact mch-epi@alaska.gov for a copy of the most recent Needs Assessment Results.
Priorities and successes
2026-2030 priorities
- Foster safe, stable, and nurturing environments for Alaskan children
- Reduce harmful substance use among women of childbearing age and caregivers of infants
- Promote safe, supportive connections for adolescent well-being
- Increase education and supports for families and caregivers around accessing coordinated care and pediatric specialty care
- Increase connection to behavioral and mental health information, training, resources, and supports for families and providers
- Increase partnerships and connections with community agencies to support access to basic needs
- Increase access to comprehensive health care for women, including preventative services.
Performance measures and successes
Performance measures
Performance measures
- Women/ Maternal
- Percent of women who attended a postpartum checkup within 12 weeks after giving birth
- Percent of women who attended a postpartum checkup and received recommended care components
- Percent of women, ages 18 through 44, with a preventive medical visit in the past year
- Perinatal/ Infant
- Percent of infants placed to sleep on their backs
- Percent of infants placed to sleep on a separate approved sleep surface
- Percent of infants placed to sleep without soft objects or loose bedding
- Percent of infants room-sharing with an adult
- Percent of women who delivered a live birth and reported use of the following: tobacco and/or marijuana in any form during pregnancy
- Child
- Percent of children, ages 9-25 months, who received a developmental screening using a parent-completed screening tool in the past year
- Percent of Alaskan parents of 3-year-olds who are using their preferred form or type of childcare
- Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs (CYSHCN)
- Percent of children with and without special healthcare needs, ages 0-17, who have a medical home
- Adolescent
- Percent of adolescents, ages 12-17, who have one or more adults outside the home who they can rely on for advice or guidance
Recent successes
Recent successes
- Women/Maternal
- The 2024 AKPQC and MCDR Summit was held in April as a hybrid event, featuring topics such as trauma-informed care, perinatal brain injury, and substance use. With 68 total participants (36 virtual, 32 in-person), 100% of evaluation respondents rated the event as good or excellent, and 83% intend to share what they learned with colleagues.
- Perinatal/Infant
- Through a maternal mortality prevention grant, the Maternal Child Death Review program launched a community-based doula workforce development initiative. This effort increases access to birthing support in communities with an emphasis on rural areas. Doula support is an evidence-based strategy to improve access to care and maternal mental health outcomes.
- Child
- Title V staff joined a leadership team with the Division of Public Assistance and the Department of Education and Early Development to administer the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five. This grant supports initiatives such as developmental screening, Strengthening Families Alaska, Family Engagement and Leadership Training (FELT), Home Visiting ECHOearly childhood systems building, and FAN (Facilitating Attuned Interactions) training.
- Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs (CYSHCN)
- In 2024, the Alaska Metabolic Clinic partnered with the University of Utah to expand access to physician and dietitian services statewide. This collaboration increases in state clinical care and consultation, enabling more families to receive metabolic services in their home communities.
- Adolescent
- Alaska youth are leading the 988 Create Campaign, a teen-led arts initiative to promote the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. With posters, stickers, and multimedia, teens encourage help-seeking and peer support. Coordinated by the Youth Alliance for a Healthier Alaska and funded by Garrett Lee Smith, the campaign has grown annually and contributed to a 31% rise in youth contacts to 988.