Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Early Childhood Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Early childhood hub urges Lane County to fund local share to secure Medicaid match for nurse-home visiting
Summary
United Way—s Early Childhood Hub director asked commissioners to fund the local share required to capture Medicaid matching funds and to expand the Nurse-Family Partnership home-visiting program, calling the service a "lifeline" for new families.
Chris Combs, director of the Early Childhood Hub of Lane County at United Way, urged the Board of Commissioners during public comment to provide the local share of funding needed to secure a Medicaid match and expand the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) home-visiting program.
Combs described nurse home visiting as more than a check-in: "Home visiting is more than a check-in. It's a lifeline," he told the board and outlined services home visitors provide, including helping families navigate benefits, modeling early literacy and connecting parents to services. Combs said a county funding commitment is needed to secure the Medicaid match that would expand local NFP capacity.
Why it matters: Nurse-family home visitation targets pregnant people and families with young children; research and local partners told the board that early intervention by trained home visitors can improve long-term family and child outcomes and reduce service fragmentation.
Board context: Commissioners did not take formal action at the meeting on the funding request; staff took the comment as part of public testimony and the item may be considered in future budget discussions.
Clarifying detail: Combs asked the county to approve funding for the local share required to access the Medicaid match and to authorize program expansion; he did not specify a dollar amount during public comment.
