Washington

Washington State offers a comprehensive array of maternal and child health care programs designed to support families from pregnancy through early childhood. These initiatives focus on improving health outcomes, providing essential services, and promoting equity across communities.

First Steps Program
The First Steps Program provides health and social services to low-income pregnant individuals and their infants. Services include:
Maternity Support Services (MSS): Offers preventive health education, counseling, and case management.
Infant Case Management (ICM): Provides support for families with infants up to one year old, focusing on health and developmental needs.
Childbirth Education (CBE): Educates expectant parents on labor, delivery, and newborn care.
These services aim to reduce poor birth outcomes and ensure healthy development for infants.

Watch Me Grow Washington
Watch Me Grow Washington is a program that sends health and safety information to families with children from birth to six years old. The materials include age-specific guidance on:
Well-child checkups
Vaccinations
Nutrition and physical activity
Safety and injury prevention
School readiness
The goal of this program is to keep Washington’s children as safe and healthy as possible by providing timely information to caregivers.

Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN)
The CYSHCN program supports children and youth with special health care needs and their families by:
Providing care coordination and case management
Connecting families to medical and community resources
Offering support for navigating healthcare systems
This program ensures that children with special needs receive comprehensive and coordinated care.

Birth Equity Project
The Birth Equity Project aims to address and reduce disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. By investing in community-based organizations and promoting culturally appropriate care, the project strives to ensure that all birthing people have access to quality healthcare services.

Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program
Washington's MIECHV program provides voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services for expectant and new parents with children up to kindergarten entry age. The program focuses on communities at risk for poor maternal and child health outcomes and implements models like Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) and Parents as Teachers (PAT). Learn More

Start Early Washington: is a home visiting program that advocates for children and families to ensure high quality implementation of prenatal and early learning services to achieve the strongest outcomes for families in Washington state. For more information on home visiting programs in Washington, click here

Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP)
NFP connects first-time, low-income mothers with registered nurses who provide home visits from pregnancy through the child's second birthday. The program focuses on improving maternal health, child development, and family self-sufficiency.

Lactation and Infant Feeding-Friendly Environments (LIFE) Program
Formerly known as the Breastfeeding Friendly Washington program, the LIFE initiative recognizes healthcare organizations that support, protect, and promote lactation. It aligns with the World Health Organization’s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and Baby-Friendly USA standards.

WIC Breastfeeding Support
The Washington Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program offers extensive breastfeeding support, including access to breastfeeding experts and peer counselors. These services are available before and after birth, providing assistance with breastfeeding challenges and promoting successful breastfeeding practices.

Indian Health Service (IHS) Maternal and Child Health Program
The IHS Maternal and Child Health (MCH) program aims to increase access to safe, quality care for American Indian/Alaska Native pregnant individuals and children. The program offers resources and clinical guidelines to support maternal and child health, including tools for obstetric readiness and pediatric preventive care services.