Columbus, Georgia

Georgia's First Consolidated Government

Post Office Box 1340
Columbus, Georgia, 31902-1340
(706) 653-4013
fax (706) 653-4016

Council Members

Agenda Item #



Columbus Consolidated Government



Council Meeting



April 9, 2013



Agenda Report #



TO: Mayor and Council



SUBJECT: Maternal and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation



INITIATED BY: Jennifer Davidson, Cooperative Extension



Recommendation: Authorize the City Manager to sign the Maternal and Infant Home

Visiting Program Evaluation for the period of May 15, 2013 to June 20, 2016,

between the Columbus Consolidated Government and MDRC, non-partisan education

and social policy research organization.



Background: Home visiting programs are recognized as an important strategy

for providing support services to families with young children. Programs are

diverse, widely used across the country, and generally aim to provide

information, referrals, and parenting support to reduce child maltreatment,

improve maternal and child health, and improve early school readiness. The

recent growth in federal funding to support the scale up of evidenced-based

programs provides an unprecedented, critical opportunity for program and

research collaboration at the Federal, State, and community levels.



The Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation (MIHOPE) is sponsored by

the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children

and Families and the Health Resources and Services Administration. This

evaluation, mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010

(PPACA) (P.L. 111-148), is designed to build knowledge for policymakers and

practitioners about the effectiveness of the new federally funded Maternal,

Infant and Early Childhood Home-Visiting Program (MIECHV) in improving outcomes

for at-risk children and families.



Analysis: The study includes: an analysis of the state needs assessments that

were provided in the state MIECHV applications; an effectiveness study that

includes an impact analysis to measure what difference home visiting programs

make for the at-risk families they serve, focusing on areas like prenatal,

maternal, and newborn health, child development, parenting, domestic violence,

and referrals and service coordination. The effectiveness study will also

include an implementation analysis that will examine how the program models

operate in their local and state contexts and describe the families who

participate; and an economic analysis that will examine the financial costs of

operating the programs. A special goal of this study is the linking of

implementation strategies to program impacts, thus informing the field about

the types of program features or strategies that might lead to even greater

impacts on families. For example, understanding how, and at what level, the

average family participates in the program will provide context to any

variation in impacts we find in the health of families. The primary data used

in the study are expected to be collected by the research team through surveys,

review of administrative records, interviews, observations, and staff logs.



Financial Considerations: To offset expenses of the Evaluation, MDRC will

provide Parent?s as Teachers with $22,000 (twenty two thousand dollars), to be

paid in three installments, assuming satisfactory completion of tasks set forth

below. See Schedule of Installments Site Agreement. No local match required.



Legal Considerations: The applicant, Columbus Consolidated Government (for

Cooperative Extension?s Positive Parenting Program), will sign a contract with

MDRC to participate in the MIHOPE study. By accepting previous MIECHV funding,

our site/state agreed to participate in the Evaluation.



Recommendation/Action: Authorize the City Manager to sign the Implementation

Agreement with Parent?s as Teachers, based on the grant award received from the

Governor?s Office for Children and Families.







A RESOLUTION





NO. _____





A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN THE IMPLEMENTATION AGREEMENT

BETWEEN COLUMBUS CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT AND MDRC, TO ACCEPT THE $22,000 TO

OFFSET THE EXPENSES RELATED TO MIHOPE IMPLEMENTATION BASED ON THE FUNDING

AVAILABLE FROM THE GOVERNOR?S OFFICE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FOR HOME

VISITATION PROGRAM (PARENTS AS TEACHERS) TO EDUCATE THE PARENTS OF YOUNG

CHILDREN.



WHEREAS, the funds have been made available from the Governor?s Office

For Children and Families for the purpose of evidence based, home visitation

programs for parenting education under an Early Childhood System Of Care that

addresses Federal home visiting benchmark areas and constructs; and, Muscogee

was selected as one of six counties eligible to apply; and,



WHEREAS, the UGA Cooperative Extension in Columbus has operated Parents

As Teachers, a home visiting parenting education program, under the umbrella of

Positive Parenting Program; and,



WHEREAS, there is a need to increase the knowledge and skills of

parents with young children so that they can provide a nurturing and safe

environment while acting as their children?s first teachers; and,



WHEREAS, parent education through evidence based, home visiting models

is a proven strategy to prevent child maltreatment, improve maternal and

newborn health, improve school readiness and achievement, and improve

coordination and referrals for other community resources and supports; and,



WHEREAS, there is limited access to pro-active parent education for

families at-risk, in transition, or parents who want to increase their

parenting skills and knowledge;



NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:



That the City Manager is here by authorized to sign an Implementation

Agreement with MDRC, a non-partisan education and social policy research

organization through the Governor?s Office for Children and Families under the

Early Childhood System of Care.



________________________________



Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia,

held the ________ day of __________ 2013, and adopted at said meeting by the

affirmative vote of _________ members of said Council.





Councilor Allen voting ____________

Councilor Baker voting ____________

Councilor Barnes voting ____________

Councilor Davis voting ____________

Councilor Henderson voting ____________

Councilor Huff voting ____________

Councilor McDaniel voting ____________

Councilor Thomas voting ____________

Councilor Turner Pugh voting ____________

Councilor Woodson voting ____________







______________________________ ________________________

Tiny B. Washington, Clerk of Council Teresa Pike Tomlinson, Mayor

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