The Commonwealth Fund

Overview

This report explains how services provided through the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant can be used to foster optimal child development intervention services in the early years of life. The flexibility of the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant program allows it to be an originating and supportive source of funding for child development programs, including direct care for mothers and children and interventions for an entire family. Title V can work alone or with other sources of funding, specifically Medicaid and CHIP. By paying for services that Medicaid cannot, Title V allows for the creation of more comprehensive and “wraparound” child development services.
This is the fourth in a series of reports presenting an overview of federal health policy related to child development. It contains an overview of the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant, and discusses how to use these funds—either alone or in combination with money from other sources (i.e., the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid)—to support the creation of comprehensive development services for young children and their families. The report also offers recommendations on how Title V can be used to promote child development programs for young children.