NACCHO, with support from the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is pleased to offer a new funding opportunity designed to build community resilience and improve the lives of pregnant people and infants by strengthening partnerships between maternal and child health (MCH), infectious disease (ID), and emergency preparedness and response (EPR) programs within local health departments (LHDs).

NACCHO will award up to $20,000 to up to four health departments and will facilitate virtual action planning processes to support recipients to identify priorities for collaboration and take concrete steps to increase prioritization of pregnant people and infants over the course of the project period.

Expectations

Selected LHDs will be required to complete the following during the project period of December 2022 – July 2023:

 Participate in a project kick-off call with NACCHO, CDC, and other awardees.

• Complete a baseline assessment to assess MCH, ID, and EPR capacity within the LHD.
• With NACCHO support, design and develop a series of virtual action planning meetings with LHD staff and, if relevant, additional stakeholders. The purpose of these meetings will be to:
  • strengthen collaboration between MCH, ID, and EPR departments by sharing priorities, goals, activities, and responsibilities of the departments;
  • facilitate relationship and partnership building with the goal of incorporating MCH populations into preparedness plans and;
  • prioritize EPR plans and exercises for MCH inclusion and develop an action plan to respond to and prepare for emerging infectious disease threats that impact pregnant people and their infants.
• Finalize an action plan in collaboration with NACCHO.
• Initiate implementation of the action plan.
• Participate in the MIP Workgroup membership by attending bi-monthly workgroup meetings. Prepare to share project updates and highlights with the full workgroup at each meeting.
• Prepare a final end of year project presentation for the MIP Workgroup membership.
• Participate in NACCHO led virtual site visits upon completion of action plans.
• Revisit the capacity assessment.
• Participate in peer sharing and technical assistance calls facilitated by NACCHO to review progress of planned activities and share practices and lessons learned.
• Complete an evaluation worksheet that summarizes progress in achieving action steps and partner engagement strategy, including examples of changes to any existing health department plans that reflect increased integration of MCH, ID, and EPR.

Interested?

View the Request for Applications (RFA) for full details about this project.

A recording of the informational webinar held on Monday, September 26 can be found here and the presentation here.

Application submission deadline extended: 11:59 PM ET on November 1. Applications that are incomplete and/or submitted late will not be considered. No applications will be accepted by email, fax, or postal mail. Visit the RFA to apply.

 For more information or questions, email Elana Filipos at [email protected].