Maternal and Child Health (MCH)  

Title V is part of the Social Security Act of 1935. It is one of the largest, and oldest, federal block grant programs. The federal government pledged support to improve the health of mothers and children throughout the nation. Title V has been amended several times to reflect the increasing national interest in maternal and child health (MCH) and well-being. In 1981, Title V converted to a block grant program, resulting in combining 7 categorical programs into a single block grant. These programs were:

• MCH for children with special health care needs (CSHCN),
• supplemental security income for children with disabilities,
• lead-based paint poisoning prevention programs,
• genetic disease programs,
• sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) programs,
• hemophilia treatment centers, and
• adolescent pregnancy grants.

Several amendments to Title V offer states the ability to respond locally to MCH needs. Current requirements include planning activities to support several key MCH measures and then reporting on progress. Some examples of measures are breastfeeding rates, injury rates, and the percentage of children with special health care needs whose families partner in decision-making and are satisfied with services received. States are also allowed to develop and report on additional indicators that support local needs. 

The conceptual framework for services of the Title V MCH block grant is envisioned as a pyramid with 3 tiers of services and for which systems-building services is the base. Title V is the only federal program that provides services at all levels.  

The purpose of the Title V MCH Services Block Grant Program is to create federal/state partnerships to develop systems to meet MCH challenges which include but are not limited to the following:

• significantly reducing infant mortality
• providing comprehensive care to women before, during, and after pregnancy and childbirth
• providing preventive and primary care services for children and adolescents with special health care needs
• preventing injury and violence
• immunizing all children
• meeting the nutritional and developmental needs of mothers, children, and families  

Please visit our program pages to learn more.  

For more information about Maternal and Child Health in Texas, please contact us at:  

Texas Department of State Health Services
Maternal & Child Health
PO Box 149347, Mail Code 1922
Austin, TX 78714-9347
(512) 776-7373: Phone
(512) 458-7658: Fax
TitleV@dshs.texas.gov

External links to other sites are intended to be informational and do not have the endorsement of the Texas Department of State Health Services. These external links may not be accessible to persons with disabilities.