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.