TITLE V (MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES BLOCK GRANT)

In the United States the provisions of Title V of the Social Security Act (SSA) have their origins in the First Maternity and Infant Act (or Sheppard-Towner Act) of 1921, a grant-in-aid program that provided federal funds to states for the establishment of maternal and infant welfare and hygiene agencies. Passed in 1935, Title V extended new funding to states to provide maternal and child health services, specifically for early detection, treatment and rehabilitation for "conditions which lead to crippling," child welfare services, and vocational rehabilitation. Among the more important changes that have occurred to Title V since it was passed are the establishment of special projects in 1963, the consolidation of categorical MCH services into the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant in 1981, and the move toward greater accountability in 1989. By the end of the twentieth century, Title V, a $870-million program, remained the statutory basis of maternal and child health services in state and local health departments across the United States.

See also: POVERTY

Bibliography

Lesser, Arthur. "The Origin and Development of Maternal and Child Health Programs in the United States." American Journal of Public Health 75 (1985):590-598.

Margolis, Lewis, George Cole, and Jonathan Kotch. "Historical Foundations of Maternal and Child Health." In Jonathan Kotch ed., Maternal and Child Health: Programs, Problems, and Policy in Public Health. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers, 1997.

Schmidt, William, and Helen Wallace. "The Development ofHealth Services for Mothers and Children in the United States." In Helen Wallace, Richard Nelson, and Patrick Sweeney eds., Maternal and Child Health Practices, 4th edition. Oakland, CA: Third Party Publishing, 1994.

VanLandighem, Karen, and Catherine Hess. "Maternal and Child Health at a Critical Crossroads." In Helen Wallace, Gordon Green, Kenneth Jaros, Lisa Paine, and Mary Story eds., Health and Welfare for Families in the Twenty-First Century. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett, 1999.

Jonathan Kotch