The Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program is currently set to expire on September 30, 2017.  The Home Visiting Coalition is asking for advocates to help build grassroots support.

Last week, the coalition was informed that the MIECHV Reauthorization Bill had not been moved to markup for a committee vote this week because the House Ways and Means Committee is not hearing from their members that there is an urgent need to move this reauthorization at this time.

Of course that should not be a great surprise to the Ways and Means Committee since much of the advocacy world has been focused on the health care debate and some of the significant cuts being circulated in other parts of the budget.

MIECHV still enjoys strong, bipartisan support, on and off the key committees of jurisdiction.  There are concerns with various provisions in the House-introduced bill but the Home Visiting Coalition believes these concerns should not hamper reauthorization efforts broadly.  The National Home Visiting Coalition partners have been working with committee staff to improve a number of the provisions of this bill, several of which are likely to be accepted into the final draft. The Coalition wants to turn up the volume about the urgent need to reauthorize this program.  At this sensitive point, the Coalition needs to keep all eyes on the ultimate goal of reauthorizing and expanding MIECHV for 5 years.

HOW CAN I HELP? 

Please join the Coalition to TAKE ACTION and tell your members of Congress why the MIECHV program is important to families in your state!  July 12th “ The National Home Visiting Coalition is planning a Day-of-Action to organize a swell of grassroots support with direct outreach to Members of Congress and social media activities. The Coalition will be circulating specific materials and information for the July 12th event.

National Site Visit Week, August 14-18th “ Inviting your Members of Congress and their staff on a site visit is one of the best ways to support MIECHV and showcase your program!

You can also sign onto a letter.  More than 700 organizations have signed the letter so far. The coalition would like to reach 1,000 organizational signers. The letter is open until July 10th to continue the drumbeat.  Please sign your organization on to the letter to let Congress know that home visiting matters to parents, children, states and local communities. Send this to your networks and urge them to sign on to the letter.  The Coalition will send the letter to Congress on July 12th.  To see the organizations that have signed the letter, please click here.  To sign onto the letter, please click here.