Maternal/Infant and Child Health Healthcare Resiliency Program

The Tennessee Department of Health is administering the Maternal/Infant and Child Health Healthcare Resiliency Program to address critical gaps in healthcare systems serving women, infants, children, and youth across the state, particularly in rural communities. Tennessee has identified significant challenges in maternal and child health outcomes, including high rates of preventable mortality and limited access to coordinated care. In response, the department is investing in system-level improvements aligned with statewide strategic priorities focused on maternal health, infant outcomes, child wellbeing, and access to services for populations with special healthcare needs. This funding opportunity is designed to support projects that expand and strengthen systems of care through a combination of direct service expansion, targeted interventions, workforce training, community education, and improved care coordination. Applicants are expected to propose initiatives that directly address identified gaps in rural healthcare delivery, including barriers to access, fragmented service systems, and insufficient preventive care. Projects must demonstrate how they will enhance continuity of care, improve quality outcomes, and increase access to services for women of reproductive age, pregnant and postpartum individuals, infants, children, and adolescents. Funding is available across two project categories, allowing applicants to scale proposals according to organizational capacity and community need. Smaller projects may request funding up to 1,250,000 over a five-year period, while larger projects may request between 1,250,001 and 12,500,000 over the same timeframe. All funded activities must comply with federal and state cost principles, and administrative and indirect costs combined are capped at 10 percent of the total award per budget period. Applicants are expected to justify all budget line items and demonstrate that proposed costs are reasonable, necessary, and directly tied to project outcomes. Eligible applicants include a wide range of organizations with experience serving maternal and child health populations in rural areas. This includes healthcare providers, hospitals, health systems, local health departments, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, academic institutions, and other qualified entities. Applicants must demonstrate relevant experience, organizational capacity, and the ability to implement evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions aligned with state priorities. The application process requires submission of a comprehensive proposal package, including a completed application form, detailed budget and line-item justification, logic model, resumes or biosketches of key personnel, job descriptions, and letters of commitment from partners. Applicants must submit all materials through the designated online portal by the specified deadline. A pre-response teleconference is offered to provide guidance, and written questions may be submitted prior to the deadline for official responses. Applications will be evaluated by a review committee based on defined criteria, including community need, project plan quality, evaluation strategy, sustainability, and budget justification. Each category is assigned a weighted score, with the highest emphasis placed on community need and project design. Only complete and compliant applications will be considered, and the state reserves the right to request clarifications or reject applications with inconsistencies. The funding opportunity follows a structured timeline, with applications opening on May 29, 2026 and closing on June 29, 2026. Award notifications are expected by late July 2026, with project implementation beginning August 1, 2026. The anticipated performance period extends through mid-2031, supporting long-term system improvements. No additional funding is expected beyond the initial project period, reinforcing the importance of sustainability planning within each proposal.

Align proposal strongly with evaluation criteria including community need and project plan; ensure budget justification is detailed and compliant; demonstrate sustainability and measurable outcomes