First Focus on Children takes a broad view of infant and maternal health and well-being in this fact sheet that includes programs outside of traditional health programs. These programs include paid family and medical leave; the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program; and the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
Background
Maternal health is intrinsically linked to the health and well-being of our infants and toddlers, and maternal and infant mortality in the United States are serious problems that lawmakers must continue to address. Infant mortality, already higher in the U.S. than in other wealthy countries, increased in 2022 for the first time in 20 years. The U.S. maternal mortality rate is among the worst and most racially disparate in the world. U.S. maternal mortality rates far outstrip those in 10 similar high-income countries, and they rose even higher during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, 817 women in the U.S. died as a result of pregnancy or delivery, a decrease over the previous year, but still unacceptably high. The maternal mortality rate for Black women was more than 2.5 times the rate for white women during that time. Over 80% of maternal deaths from 2017-2019 were determined to be preventable.
Overall Analysis
Awareness and concern over infant and maternal health and well-being have grown in recent years, but funding for some essential programs has faltered. The Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant (MCH Services Block Grant) lost nearly 3% in inflation-adjusted funding between FY 2023 and FY 2024, as did Healthy Start, which provides vital services to reduce infant mortality rates across the country. The Safe Motherhood and Infant Health Programs saw large increases between FY 2020 and FY 2023, but have lost ground since then. The share of federal funding for infant and maternal health and well-being experienced a 39.7% increase between FY 2020 and FY 2024, the majority of which is due to increased Medicaid funding during that time. Programs including Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health; Vaccines for Children; Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression; Adverse Childhood Experiences; the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program; and Safe Motherhood/Infant Health Programs also experienced increases during that period. However, the share of funding for infant and maternal health and well-being peaked in FY 2023 at 0.8% and fell to 0.75% in FY 2024. Infant and maternal health and well-being programs receive well under 1% of the share of federal funding, and this number is wholly inadequate to meet the challenges that these populations face.
The MCH Services Block Grant is an important source of funding that supports the health and well-being of mothers, children, and families. Funding under the MCHBG for Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS) include some congressional and administration priorities in infant and maternal well-being, including Infant-Toddler Court Teams, State Maternal Health Innovation Grants, the Maternal Mental Health Hotline, Minority Serving Institutions, and Early Childhood Education Expert Grants. Several of these programs received funding increases in FY 2023 when Congress shifted more money within the MCH Services Block Grant to SPRANS and the block grant received its highest funding to date. Inflation-adjusted funding for the block grant fell in FY 2024 though.