Maryland Maternal and Child Health Title V Block Grant Public Feedback Summary Page

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is seeking public input on its FY 2026 Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant submission to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). This application is required for the continuation of federal funds for the state’s Title V program, which serves mothers, pregnant women, infants, children, adolescents, and children and youth with specific healthcare needs. The following information provides a summary of the Maryland MCH Block Grant annual plan, including activities to address priority needs and performance measures.

The MDH received approximately $12 million annually to assure access to preventative and primary health care services for the required population groups of: (1) preventive and primary care services for pregnant women, mothers, and infants; (2) preventive and primary care services for children; and (3) services for children and youths with specific health care needs (CYSHCN). Federal law requires each state to allocate a minimum of 30 percent of its funds for services for children with special health care needs (CSHCN), and that a minimum of 30% of federal funds be used to provide preventive and primary care services for children.

The following priority needs identified for the Maryland MCH block grant were based on the five-year needs assessment completed for the FY 2025-2030 MCH Block Grant cycle. The priority needs to cross the five population domains- Women/Maternal Health, Perinatal/ Infant Health, Child Health, Adolescent Health, Children and Youth with Specific Health Care Needs, with a sixth priority need that falls into the Cross-Cutting & System Building domain area:

Ensure that all women are in optimal health before, during, and after pregnancy.
Address drivers for Severe Maternal Morbidity (SMM), with a focus on chronic conditions and comorbidities.
Ensure that all babies have the best possible start and thrive in their first year.
Ensure that culturally congruent, comprehensive physical, social, and mental health services are available to every child in Maryland when they need it.
Ensure that adolescents, aged 12-17, receive developmentally appropriate, youth-centered, comprehensive health care that addresses holistic needs.
Maximize the health outcomes of children and youth with specific health care needs through family-centered, comprehensive, and coordinated care (CYSHCN).
Ensure a successful transition from pediatric health care to adult health care.
Ensure that MCHB policies and processes are centered on data and experiences of Maryland's population to address differing health needs.
Priority: Support the integration of mental health and emotional well-being approaches for the MCH population across the life course.

The federal MCHB offered 28 national performance measures (NPMs) covering the five population domains. States had to choose five of the 28 NPMs to address during the five-year cycle (2025-2030), with at least one NPM from each population domain. Maryland selected the following six measures:

Postpartum Visits
Safe Sleep
Breastfeeding
Medical Home: Overall, Care Coordination, and Family-Centered Care
Mental Health Treatment
Transition to Adult Health Care

In addition, states were allowed to develop one or more state performance measures (SPMs) to address priority needs that were not adequately represented under the national performance measure.

Maryland developed the following SPMs:

SPM: Number of birthing hospitals that report implementing 3 or more AIM bundle elements by the end of year 1 of the initiative
SPM: Rate of asthma ED visits per 1,000 for ages 2-17
SPM: Percentage of MCHB committees/workgroups that include community members/persons with contextual experience and community expertise
SPM: Increase the integration of mental health and emotional well-being approaches across Title V and MCHB programs throughout the life course.

The State also developed a five-year State Action Plan to assist in aligning program strategies and activities with identified measures and implement changes to strategies and activities as appropriate. FY26 is the first year of the new five-year cycle. A statewide needs assessment was completed to select new priorities and NPMs.

If commenting, please review Maryland’s MCH State Snapshot, which summarizes the priorities and plans for the coming year. To provide comments, click here to complete the survey.

The survey will be open until October 31, 2025.