Maternal & Child Health
Information about the programs supported by the Maternal and Child Health section
We need your input for our MCH Five-Year Needs Assessment!
We need your input for our MCH Five-Year Needs Assessment!
Are you a mom? Do you know or work with moms or children? If so, please take our MCH Needs Assessment Survey. Every five years, DHHS surveys New Hampshire families to find out which health issues matter most to them. The results of the survey will be used to determine which priorities we should focus on to continue improving the health of New Hampshire women, infants, children, and their families.
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Section supports a broad array of programs to improve the availability of and access to high quality preventive and primary health care for all children, and for the reproductive health care of all women and their partners, regardless of their ability to pay.
Statewide Priorities for the MCH Section
- Improve access to needed healthcare services for all populations
- Decrease unintentional injury
- Improve access to standardized developmental/social/emotional screening, assessment and follow- up for children and adolescents
- Decrease pediatric overweight and obesity
- Increase access to comprehensive medical homes
- Increase family support and access to trained respite and childcare providers
- Improve access to mental health services
- Decrease the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other substances among youth, pregnant women and families
How are the MCH services funded?
The MCH Section receives federal funds from the Title V Block Grant to support various MCH programs whose primary goals are to improve the health status of pregnant, women, mothers, infants, and children, including children with special health care needs.
- Read the NH Title V Block Grant summaries and full plan:
To provide input or feedback to the Title V Block Grant plan and activities, please email MCH Data Scientist Laura Suzuki: MCH@dhhs.nh.gov.
Contact Information
Child Fatality Review Committee
The Child Fatality Review Committee works to ensure the health and safety of the children of New Hampshire and to reduce the number of preventable child deaths by systematically reviewing the preventable deaths of New Hampshire children to identify and investigate risks and the service system responses.
Community Health Workers
Community Health Workers (CHW) in NH serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.
Learn more about Community Health Workers
Community Collaborations to Strengthen and Preserve Families (CCSPF) Program
The Community Collaborations to Strengthen and Preserve Families (CCSPF) program focuses on families with children from birth through age eight by strengthening their connections to their communities and ensuring they receive the help they need to safely care for their children.
Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI)
The Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) Program offers training and support to local hospitals to help them provide hearing screening for every newborn infant. The program coordinates a network of Pediatric Audiology Diagnostic Centers to provide hearing testing for babies and young children who do not pass their hearing screening.
Learn more about the EHDI program
Family Planning Program
The Family Planning Program offers comprehensive, high quality reproductive health care including routine exams, preconception health care, pregnancy testing and counseling, screening for cervical and breast cancer, education on reproductive health and sexuality, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, as well as a wide range of contraceptive (birth control) methods.
Learn more about the Family Planning Program
Family Resource Centers
Family Resource Centers (FRC) provide community-based, primary prevention support to families, children, and individuals at no cost. This includes parent education, support groups, kinship caregiver support, concrete supports, connection to benefits, and resource navigation.
Learn more about Family Resource Centers
Home Visiting Program
Home Visiting is a preventative family support and strengthening program for pregnant and newly parenting families. These programs provide health education, parenting support, developmental screening and connections to community resources.
Learn more about our Home Visiting Programs
Injury Prevention Program
The Injury Prevention Program provides leadership and support to community-based agencies to prevent intentional and unintentional injuries.
Learn more about the Injury Prevention Program
Newborn Screening Program
The Newborn Screening Program assures that all infants born in New Hampshire are screened for 37 potentially serious disorders and ensures immediate follow-up for abnormal results.
Learn more about the Newborn Screening Program
NH Maternal Mortality Review Committee (NH MMRC)
The NH Maternal Mortality Review Committee (NH MMRC) is a multidisciplinary committee that convenes at the state level to comprehensively review deaths that occur during or within a year of pregnancy (pregnancy-associated deaths).
Learn more about the NH MMRC
NH Mental Health Care Access in Pediatrics (NH MCAP) Program
The NH Mental Health Care Access in Pediatrics (NH MCAP) Program provides tele-consultation, training, technical assistance, and care coordination to pediatric primary care providers to diagnose, treat, and refer children and adolescents with behavioral health conditions.
Learn more about the NH MCAP Program
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)
The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is a statewide survey that collects information on maternal behaviors and experiences just before, during and after pregnancy. The purpose of PRAMS is to improve the health of mothers and infants by reducing adverse outcomes of pregnancy, such as low birth weight, infant mortality and morbidity, and maternal morbidity.
Learn more about the PRAMS program
Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) Program
The Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) Program offers information, support and resources to promote a safe sleep environment to family and care providers of infants who have died suddenly and unexpectedly, such as from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Learn more about the SUID Program