Today at Commissioners Court, Commissioner Rodney Ellis will unveil details on the Maternal and Child Health Program, a proposed pilot program to improve maternal and infant health in Harris County.

With statistics showing Harris County has the highest rates of maternal morbidity among U.S. metropolitan areas, Commissioner Ellis said he will proudly support the proposal to use $7.7 million in ARPA funding to create the program.

Commissioners Court today will vote on the program, which will serve 300 households over five years in an expanded maternal health program focused on home visits by trained community health worker who will help families achieve goals and navigate referral processes in prenatal care.

“The Maternal and Child Health Program aims to improve and protect the lives and health of mothers and infants, especially Black mothers and infants who are the highest risk,” Commissioner Ellis said. “Texas and Harris County are epicenters for this crisis. Systemic barriers to accessing affordable quality health care, Texas’ chronic underfunding of women’s health, and racial and economic inequities throughout our health care system all contribute to this crisis.”

In Harris County, Black mothers and infants are most at risk, Commissioner Ellis said. In 2020, Texas’ Black maternal mortality rate was 81.47 per 100,000 live births. Compared to Harris County, the Black maternal mortality rate was 106.01 per 100,000 live births. In Harris County from 2016-2020, Precinct One had the highest rate of maternal mortality.

The funding will provide direct assistance to pregnant mothers and infants at risk for severe health complications by increasing:

• Enrollment into available health coverage options
• Prenatal and well-child visits
• Home visits for health education and access to care

“This targeted program is about healthy mothers and healthy children, investing in families, and ensuring that the most vulnerable among us have equitable access to health care and services,” Commissioner Ellis said. “In Harris County, we’re investing in healthy families through maternal health initiatives, affordable childcare programs, and reproductive care while working to reduce health disparities caused by racial and economic inequities.”