Congressional authorization for the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) expired on September 30th. If lawmakers don’t act, programs and providers across the country that rely on MIECHV will soon be forced to drastically cut home visiting services, as funding from the current authorization will begin to run out.
In addition to MIECHV, a number of crucial federal programs expired over the weekend, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Senate Finance Committee and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have both scheduled markups of CHIP reauthorization bills for this Wednesday. We are hopeful that lawmakers will act on MIECHV with the same expediency as they are with CHIP, to ensure stability for families, effectiveness of programs, and expansion of resources.
Last week, a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives passed a MIECHV reauthorization bill. While this legislation isn’t perfect, it is a positive step toward ensuring this vital program lives on. A bipartisan bill to extend and strengthen MIECHV has also been introduced in the Senate by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ). Now is the time for lawmakers to come together to push MIECHV reauthorization over the finish line, and increase funding to reach more families.
Visit FFYF.org/MIECHV to learn more.