Title V Maternal Child Health Block Grant

The Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Grant Program was established in 1936 with the passing of the Social Security Act. The goal of the grant program - the nation's oldest federal-state partnership and longest standing public health legislation - is to improve the health and well-being of mothers, infants, and children, including children and youth with special healthcare needs. Title V supports a spectrum of services, from infrastructure-building services like quality assurance and policy development, to gap-filling of direct health care services for CYSHCN.

The grant is awarded to each state based on a formula that considers the number of children living in poverty in each state. States must provide a $3 match for every $4 in federal funds received. No more than 10% may be used for administrative costs. Although there are no minimum spending requirements, funding is also to be spent on preventive and primary care services for pregnant women, mothers, and infants up to age one. The Alaska MCH Block Grant funds support state and local programs and staff.

The nature of the block grant gives discretion to Alaska on how funds are spent to meet the unique needs of our MCH populations. While only general provisions are in place, the recent transformation of the MCH Block Grant has increased the state's accountability for how funds are spent, with increased focus on performance and impact. States are encouraged to support evidence-based programs and strategies and collect data to demonstrate improvement.

Each year, every state and jurisdiction are required to submit an application and annual report for the Title V MCH Services Block Grant to the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Title V provides dedicated funding to support core MCH public health functions and is essential to assuring the health and well-being of Alaska's most precious resources-mothers, infants, and children.

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. 

Your input is needed to assure that the MCH Program is guided by the needs of Alaska. To provide feedback, please fill out our survey here.  Learn more through the Federal Title V Information System (TVIS) website which allows you to compare Alaska to other states: https://mchb.tvisdata.hrsa.gov/

The Title V program is managed by the Department of Health, Division of Public Health, Section of Women's Children's and Family Health (WCFH). Services funded by Title V can be envisioned as a pyramid of four tiers consisting of:

• Direct Health Care Services
• Enabling Services
• Population-based Services
• Infrastructure Services

Allocation of funds within these categories are based on the state's maternal and child health priorities. Priorities are developed every 5 years following a statewide needs assessment.

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.

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 ECHO, early childhood systems building, and FAN (Facilitating Attuned Interactions) training.

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.

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.

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.