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Infants in Bloom reports early progress, seeks matching funds to expand home‑visit care for opioid‑exposed infants
Summary
Infants in Bloom updated the advisory board on a two‑year pilot providing in‑home medical care to opioid‑exposed infants: the group has billed Medicaid, secured Department of Child Services contracts, is serving eight infants across three counties and seeks additional local funds to unlock a state match.
Infants in Bloom told the Johnson County Opioid Advisory Board on July 23 that its pilot medical home‑visit program for opioid‑exposed infants is operational in three counties and has begun Medicaid billing, but the group requested local funding to leverage a state matching opportunity.
"We provide specialized care for infants ages 0 to 2 in their homes," said Dr. Holly Robinson, founder of Infants in Bloom. She said the program aims to mitigate the long‑term developmental effects of prenatal opioid exposure through frequent home visits, developmental assessment and care coordination.
Robinson said the program was one of the advisory board’s December awardees and has since implemented an electronic health record, completed five Medicaid contracts, hired a nurse practitioner for Johnson County and obtained a Department of Child Services (DCS) contract that allows Infants in Bloom to continue care when babies move between placements. She reported that the pilot currently serves eight infants across Johnson, Jefferson and Switzerland counties and expects to reach 10 as additional pregnant referrals deliver.
Robinson said the program received a $55,000 award from the advisory board in December and has started receiving Medicaid reimbursements as part of its sustainability plan. She also said Infants in Bloom submitted a letter of intent for a state‑level match that could double local funding — up to $150,000 — under a preventative‑care/substance‑treatment funding bucket. "If given $50,000, we would turn that into $100,000," Robinson said, describing how a local award could unlock the state match.
Board members and community speakers, including Judge Mark Lloyd, praised the program’s niche work with infants and urged support. No formal funding decision was made at the meeting; the advisory board will consolidate requests and present recommendations to the Board of Commissioners on July 28.
Robinson emphasized continuity of care: because infants frequently move among biological, kinship and foster placements, Infants in Bloom sought contracts and Medicaid billing arrangements that allow the team to follow infants regardless of placement. She said care is intensive—weekly home visits and 24/7 access through an app—and that small caseloads were intentional to optimize outcomes and data collection for future research partnerships.
