Invest in maternal and child health
Strengthen the Georgia Department of Public Health’s maternal and child health programs
Babies Can’t Wait (BCW)
Support Babies Can’t Wait, Georgia’s early intervention program for children with disabilities and developmental delays, by allowing BCW providers to bill directly for case management services to ensure timely, comprehensive support for infants and toddlers.
Home Visiting
Support the continued expansion of home visiting programs that connect families with critical health, developmental, and parenting supports, by. . .
- Continuing to grow the DPH Home Visiting Program (previously known as the Perinatal Health Program).
- Credentialing community health workers and recognizing them as Medicaid providers.
- Allowing Medicaid reimbursement for home visiting services.
Support the whole family’s mental health
Policymakers should expand access to trauma-informed mental health services for young children and their families by funding evidence-informed practices such as Child-Parent Psychotherapy and Certified Peer Specialists in NICU settings. Additionally, lawmakers should ensure that infants, toddlers, and their caregivers are appropriately included in all mental health legislation and initiatives.
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Innovative federal funding streams can support early childhood health programs
Mechanisms like the Children’s Health Insurance Program Health Services Initiative (HSI) could allow Georgia to pull down additional federal funding to support early childhood health programs, such as home visiting, early intervention, infant and early childhood mental health consultation, and training for early childhood health professionals. |
