Funding to Continue and Maintain Home Visiting NH Services

Division of Family Assistance HB1 Pages: Page 1403, Line 102 and Page 1405, Line 502

Page	Class	FY 2010 HB1	FY 2010 Req	FY 2011 HB1	FY2011 Req
1403	102	0?	150,000	0?	150,000
1405	502	0?	400,000	0?	400,000
Total		0?	550,000	0?	550,000

The Home Visiting NH Program

For the last decade Home Visiting New Hampshire (HVNH) has been providing prenatal nursing, education, and other support services to approximately 1000 at risk, low income pregnant women annually. Home Visiting NH is a primary prevention program that produces significant and measurable outcomes in the areas of (a) Child abuse and neglect, (b) Prevention of low birth weight babies, and (c) Early detection of developmental concerns.

Requested Action

Level funding for HVNH was apparently included in the Governor’s recommended budget. However, DHHS has so far refused to sign contracts for the program for SFY 2010 and 2011 because of concerns about depleting the TANF reserve. We urge the legislature to ensure full funding of Home Visiting whether with TANF, general funds or other sources at $550,000 per year. We would also recommend the program get its own class line so it can be clearly tracked.

Home Visiting Saves Money and is Cost Effective

(A) TANF - Last year HVNH helped over 136 TANF recipients to become self-sufficient and get off TANF: a savings to the State of NH of about $816,000. HVNH provides support, job readiness, support for high school completion or GED and further education, and assistance to families to find quality, affordable child care.

(B) Medicaid - It costs NH Medicaid an average of $400,000 each time a baby has a Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit hospital stay. HVNH provides smoking cessation, prenatal care, and proper nutrition to prevent these birth complications.

(C) Foster Care - It costs the DCYF about $16,000 per year per child in foster care. Last year HVNH worked with over 1,000 families in which 98% of the families retained custody of their infant. HVNH provided parenting education, information on child safety, child development screenings, assistance with maternal/infant attachment, and crisis management. If HVNH saved only 10 children from needing foster care, that would save $160,000.

If HVNH prevented any of the above State expenses with only one baby and its family, savings would equal $423,000

Contacts Cherie Lebel at Child & Family Services 518-4198 or any of the Home Visiting Centers listed on the back.

Home Visiting New Hampshire Centers

— VNA @ HCS/The Family Center at Peterborough 924-6306

— VNA Hospice of Southern Carroll County, Wolfeboro 569-2729

— VNA VNH, Lebanon 298-6417 x 2053

— Weeks Medical Center, Lancaster 788-5398

— NH Minority Health Coalition, Manchester & Nashua 627-7703 x242

— Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Littleton 444-2464

— Belknap/Merrimack CAP, Laconia 225-3295

— Child and Family Services 518-4141

Manchester, Concord, Nashua, Derry, Exeter

— Families First, Portsmouth 422-8208 x145

— Family Resource Center @ Gorham 466-5190

— HUB Family Support Center, Dover 749-9754 x18

— Monadnock Family Services, Keene 357-4400

— Strafford County Head Start, Rochester 332-9040

— Good Beginnings of Sullivan County, Claremont 542-1848