The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) program is a federal-state partnership. It's focus is promoting and improving the health and well-being of mothers, children, and their families.
To identify where the greatest need is within the state, North Dakota’s MCH program conducts a comprehensive statewide needs assessment on the health and well-being of mothers, children, and families every five years.
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- CLICK the tabs below to see summaries of "draft MCH priority areas for 2025-2030" in a more accessible format.
PRIORITY AREAS
Women Domain: Postpartum Visit
Performance Measure:
A) Percent of women who attended a postpartum checkup within 12 weeks after giving birth and B) Percent of women who attended a postpartum checkup and received recommended care components
Domain Leads: Alicia Belay, Angie Reinarts, Sarah Scott
Priority: Identify, reduce, or eliminate barriers preventing women from receiving recommended postpartum care components, including but not limited to mental health screening, breastfeeding support, care coordination, etc.
Programs/Partners that Align with the Priority: (Not an all-inclusive list)
- MCH Women’s Health
- Community Engagement
- Family Planning
- Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC)
- Alternatives to Abortion
- Breastfeeding/MCH Nutrition
- WIC
- Medicaid
Perinatal Infant Domain: Safe Sleep
Performance Measure:
A) Percent of infants placed to sleep on their backs B) Percent of infants placed to sleep on a separate approved sleep surface C) Percent of infants placed to sleep without soft objects or loose bedding D) Percent of infants room-sharing with an adult
Domain Leads: Beth Oestreich, Mikaela Schlosser
Priority: Utilize statewide resources to educate about/implement safe sleep best practices
Programs/Partners that Align with the Priority: (Not an all-inclusive list)
- Breastfeeding/MCH Nutrition
- Medical Facility Partnerships
- Child Fatality Review Panel
- American Academy of Pediatrics (ND AAP)
- Community Engagement (NFI, Tribal Partners)
- Safe Kids
- Early Childhood (NDDHHS)
- Local Public Health
- Home Visiting Programs
Child Domain: Food Sufficiency & Medical Home-Care Coordination
Performance Measure:
- Food Sufficiency: Percent of children, ages 0 through 11, whose households were food sufficient in the past year
Domain Leads: Sarah Massey, Mikaela Schlosser
Priority: Expand partnerships with existing community resources (schools, food banks, health units, etc.) to improve accessibility to healthy food options
Programs/Partners that Align with the Priority: (Not an all-inclusive list)
- School Health
- MCH Nutrition
- Full-Service Community Schools
- REA’s
- WIC
- SNAP
- Local Public Health
- Community Resources (Food Banks, Foundations, Clinics)
- NDSU Extension
- FirstLink
Performance Measure:
- Medical Home-Care Coordination: Percent of children with and without special health care needs, ages 0 through 17, who receive needed care coordination.
Domain Leads: Sarah Massey, Mikaela Schlosser
Priority: Improve care coordination to link the pediatric population to essential services and resources
Programs/Partners that Align with the Priority: (Not an all-inclusive list)
- School Health
- MCH Nutrition
- Full-Service Community Schools
- REA’s
- WIC
- SNAP
- Local Public Health
- Community Resources (Food Banks, Foundations, Clinics)
- NDSU Extension
- FirstLink
- CSHCN Domain Leads
- Adolescent Health Domain Leads
Adolescent Domain: Mental Health Treatment
Performance Measure:
Percent of adolescents, ages 12 through 17, who receive needed mental health treatment and counseling
Domain Leads: Heather Kapella, Kimberly Hruby, Danielle Hoff, Beth Oestreich
Priority: Identify, reduce, or eliminate barriers preventing adolescents from receiving mental health treatment and counseling
Programs/Partners that Align with the Priority: (Not an all-inclusive list)
- NDDHHS Behavioral Health Division (Pediatric Mental Healthcare Access Program, Suicide Prevention Program)
- Suicide Prevention Coalition
- School Nurses
- ND DPI (Bullying Prevention)
- ND AAP
- Community Engagement (Youth Advisory Board)
- Federation of Families
- FirstLink
Children with Special Health Care Needs Domain: Medical Home-Overall
Performance Measure:
Increase the number of children with special healthcare needs engaged in medical home
Domain Leads: Danielle Hoff, Heather Kapella, Kimberly Hruby, Tina Feigitsch
Priority: Improve the system of care for children with special health care needs
Programs/Partners that Align with the Priority: (Not an all-inclusive list)
- Child and Adolescent Domains
- Family Support Organizations
- ND AAP
- Medical Facilities
- School Nurses
- ND DPI (Special Education)
- Family Advisory/Medical Advisory Council
- FirstLink
- Local Public Health
- Child Health Domain Leads
- Adolescent Health Domain Leads
PUBLIC COMMENT
Public comment may be submitted to krhruby@nd.gov until April 4, 2025.
Hard copies may be provided upon request.