Grant to Support Wellness Visits for Children, Pregnant Women

The state of New Hampshire is receiving nearly $4.8 million in grant money to support home wellness visits for young children and pregnant women.

Federal Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell announced the grant Thursday as part of $386 million awarded nationwide to support home visitation programs.

Burwell says the grant gives New Hampshire the flexibility to tailor its home visit programs to address the needs of the communities they serve.

The national Home Visiting Program currently serves about one-third of the counties in the country with high rates of low birth weights, teen births, infant mortality and poverty.

Burwell says home visits by a nurse, social worker, or early childhood educator can make a big difference in the lives of children and their families.