State Medicaid policy requires, recommends, or allows maternal depression screening during well-child visits
Regular, periodic well-child visits during the first year of life are an opportune time to screen for parental depression,…
Percentage of babies born preterm (before 37 completed weeks of gestation)
Preterm births are the second leading cause of death among children younger than five. The percentage of babies…
Percentage of babies with low birthweight (less than 5.5 pounds)
Low birthweight (less than 5.5 pounds) is strongly associated with poor developmental outcomes, beginning in infancy but extending into…
Infant mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births)
Children are much more likely to die during the first year of life than they are at older ages.…
Percentage of infants/toddlers who had a preventive dental care visit in the past year
Early childhood tooth decay can be damaging to developing primary teeth, and can negatively affect child oral health quality…
Percentage of infants/toddlers who had a preventive medical care visit in the past year
Preventive medical care (also known as “well-child care”) is a critical opportunity to detect a developmental delay or disability,…
Recovery Begins with Babies and Families: An Agenda for the Administration and the 117th Congress
As the 117th Congress and the Administration work to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s destructive force and put our country…
Strengthening Connections: State Approaches to Connecting Families to Services
These case studies illustrate how states can help families locate and access appropriate supports.
Supporting High-Quality Early Care and Education from Birth to 5: State Strategies to Strengthen Infant-Toddler Care as Public Pre-K Expands
This brief and the accompanying webinar outline strategies to protect and expand access to a full continuum of high-quality…
Places for All Babies: Home-Based Child Care is an Essential Part of the Solution
This policy brief includes examples of state strategies and recommendations that policymakers can explore in building a truly robust…
Addressing Bias and Advancing Equity in State Policy
This article explores the ways in which states can and are addressing racial equity in problem solving and policymaking.
The State of Child Care for Babies: The Need to Do Better for Our Youngest Children
This policy brief takes an in-depth look at the current state of the nation’s child care system and the…
TANF at 25: Poverty Remains High Among the Nation’s Babies, But Few are Assisted
This fact sheet takes a look at the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program in its 25th year…
Racism Creates Inequities in Maternal and Child Health Even Before Birth
This brief applies a racial and ethnic equity lens to the review of the data on disparities in maternal…