Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Program

The Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Program is a federal-state partnership that is a key source of support for promoting and improving the health and wellbeing of the nation's mothers, children, including children and youth with special health needs, and their families.

Authorized under Title V of the 1935 federal Social Security Act, Title V was converted to a Block Grant Program in 1981. State allocations are determined by a formula that takes into consideration the proportion of the number of low-income children in a state compared to the total number of low-income children in the United States. In Minnesota, two-thirds of Minnesota's Title V award is distributed by formula to Community Health Boards. For information for grantee's can be found on the Grantee Information webpage.

The Title V MCH Block Grant Program requires that every $4 of federal Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant money must be matched by at least $3 of state and/or local money. The program also requires that a minimum of 30% of federal Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant funds be used to support services for children and youth with special health needs, and 30% of federal funds be used to provide preventive and primary care services for children.

Priority areas

From the results of the 2025 Needs Assessment, seven priority areas were identified:

• Healthy infants, families, and communities: Improve the wellbeing of families with pregnant women and infants through supports and services that are community-based and responsive to individual needs and experiences.
• Child mental health and wellbeing: Increase the number of children who are screened for and connected with mental, behavior, and wellbeing resources and services that are responsive to individual needs and experiences.
• Adolescent mental health and wellbeing: Increase adolescent-centered mental health and wellbeing resources and upstream-focused universal supports.
• Coordinated support and access for children and youth with special health needs: Expand awareness of available services and improve access to high-quality, family-centered supports that help children, youth, families, and care teams address health and development in ways that reflect their needs and preferences across settings.
• Comprehensive perinatal systems of care: Ensure perinatal women have access to systems of care and care navigation that are comprehensive, high quality, and responsive to individual needs and experiences.
• Optimal systems and policies: Support transformation of systems and policies that drive priorities for improving health outcomes, reducing differences, and optimally serving maternal and child health populations in Minnesota.
• Community health drivers: Address the key drivers and underlying conditions influencing how community health factors impact Minnesota’s families and communities.
• Minnesota Title V 2026-30 Priorities Overview (PDF)

More information on the 2026-2030 Title V Priorities can be found on the Title V Maternal and Child Health Needs Assessment – MN Dept. of Health webpage.

Application and reports

Each year, the Minnesota Department of Health reports on Minnesota's Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant program expenditures, activities, performance measures, and outcomes. Minnesota's most recent information can be found here: Minnesota Title MCH Block Grant FFY2024 Report-2026 Application (PDF)

Needs assessment

As a part of the Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Program, every five years Minnesota is required to complete a comprehensive statewide needs assessment on the health and well-being of mothers, children and youth, including children and youth with special health needs, and their families. This assessment helps identify state maternal and child health priority issues and provides direction for Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant activities.

More information on the needs assessment can be found on the Title V Maternal and Child Health Needs Assessment – MN Dept. of Health webpage.

2025 Needs Assessment Summary (PDF)

Maternal and Child Health Advisory Committee

The Maternal and Child Health Advisory Committee authorized under M.S. 145.881, advises the Commissioner of Health on improving the health of mothers and children, including children with special health needs and their families. The Maternal and Child Health Advisory Committee is comprised of 15 members representing maternal and child health professionals, maternal and child health consumers, and community health boards. Members are appointed to four-year terms.

More information on the Maternal and Child Health Advisory Committee can be found on the Maternal and Child Health Advisory Committee webpage.

More information on the MCH Advisory Committee can be found on the MCH Advisory Committee webpage.