Higgins: Nearly $1.4 million to boost home health care assistance for families in New York

American Rescue Plan funding supports maternal, infant & early childhood home visiting program

Congressman Brian Higgins announced the New York State Department of Health will receive $1,398,324 in federal funding included in the American Rescue Plan to support home visiting services for at-risk children and families struggling under the pandemic.

“Health and economic ramifications of the pandemic make it an especially challenging time to be a new parent,” said Higgins, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees the maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting program. “This will help give children a strong start and support healthy families.”

Approximately $40 million was distributed nationwide to “support the delivery of coordinated and comprehensive, high-quality, voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services to children and families living in communities at risk for poor maternal and child health outcomes.”

The federal funding is distributed under the maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting program, which works to improve maternal and child health, prevent abuse and neglect, develop parenting skills, and aid the development of children.