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Data Digest from Vik

Posted in:Home Visiting Newsletter

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MIECHV Needs Assessment

As part of the five-year federally mandated needs assessment for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) requests that state grantees determine clearly defined geographic regions that are at higher risk for adverse health and socio-demographic characteristics. For the 2020 MIECHV needs assessment, six regions in the state of Delaware were identified and defined by the following ZIP codes:

  • East Wilmington (19801, 19802, and 19806)
  • Central Wilmington (19804 and 19805)
  • Southeast Wilmington (19706, 19720, and 19733)
  • Smyrna/West Dover (19904, 19938, 19955, and 19977)
  • East Dover (19901 and 19902)
  • Georgetown/Seaford (19933, 19940, 19947, 19956, and 19973)

Given the geographic spread of these ZIP codes, this list may suggest that public health and social service programs need to deliver services equitably across the state, especially given the differences in socioeconomic challenges within the state. Notably, poor access to care and geographic barriers impact southern Delaware more than northern Delaware, while racial disparities and urban poverty adversely affect northern Delaware more than southern Delaware.

Home Visitor Survey Results

The following are summary findings from the Home Visitor Survey, which was administered to home visiting staff in August and September 2020. Overall, 48 surveys were completed. The majority of the surveys were completed by home visiting staff across three of the evidence-based home visiting programs (CFF/HFA, New Directions Early Head Start, and PAT). Roughly half of the surveys were completed by home visiting staff members who work primarily in New Castle County. In addition, the survey results uncovered the following:

  • Respondents were fairly mixed on whether there are enough home visiting programs to meet everyone’s needs, whether there is a need for different home visiting programs than the ones currently provided, whether families knew about home visiting services, and whether such services were well advertised;
  • Respondents affirm that there are limited resources for their clients, namely housing, healthy food options, and health-related services, and they reported seeing a rise in substance use/abuse;
  • Home visiting staff were generally confident in their ability to provide services and were pleased with the quality of their home visiting program; and
  • Geographic barriers and home visiting staff attrition were noted as comments provided by the home visiting staff members.

For more comprehensive results and a copy of the report, please notify Vik Vishnubhakta at vikrum@forward-consultants.com.

Thanks, and as always, please let me know if you have any questions.

Vik

Vikrum Vishnubhakta, MBA/MPH
Consultant/Principal, Forward Consultants
431 W. 37th St., Suite 9E
New York, NY 10018

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