Maternal and Child Health, Title V Needs Assessment

Needs assessment survey update

Thank you very much for participating! The needs assessment survey has closed. We heard from people across Wisconsin and are excited to share the results.

This was an opportunity for individuals and families to influence the priorities and focus of maternal and child health programs in the state, and is part of a comprehensive, statewide assessment the program conducts every five years as part of federal Title V funding. The survey covered a range of topics, including prenatal care, access to health care services, maternal mental health, child and infant health, birth outcomes, and community resources.

Background and goals

As part of federal funding, the Wisconsin Title V, Maternal and Child Health program implements a comprehensive, statewide needs assessment every five years. The goal for the upcoming needs assessment is to hear from people from all backgrounds and parts of our state, as well as those most impacted by future family health improvement efforts and experiences. Through the needs assessment, the Department of Health Services (DHS) will identify current community strengths, partnerships, and areas where people need more support to improve the health of our maternal and child populations.

To learn more, visit our federal funder to learn more about the Title V Block Grant, its guiding principals, performance measures, and the needs assessment component.

Note on language

We often use the terms woman, women, and maternal when referring to our Maternal Child Health (MCH) programs. It is important to recognize that this community includes people who identify and do not identify as women, including gender-diverse people. We invite all people along the sex, sexuality, and gender spectrum to participate in this needs assessment.

In the same way family in the context of our Maternal Child Health (MCH) programs means all those connected by bonds of love, kinship, and shared experiences, including nuclear families, extended families, single-parent families, same-sex parent families, adoptive families, multigenerational families, and chosen families. The definition of family has evolved to embrace diverse structures that provide support, care, and a sense of belonging.