MCH Workforce Development and Training Center

The MCH Workforce Development and Training Center opportunity is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This program is part of the broader federal effort to strengthen public health infrastructure, specifically targeting maternal and child health systems across the United States and its territories. The initiative aligns with the Healthy Start program and is designed to build workforce capacity by equipping professionals with advanced skills and tools necessary to improve outcomes for mothers, children, and families. The primary purpose of this cooperative agreement is to support a national center that delivers training, technical assistance, and workforce development resources. The funded center will serve Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant leaders, staff, and related professionals. Activities are expected to focus on enhancing leadership capabilities, strengthening program implementation, and improving the ability of state and local systems to address complex maternal and child health challenges. The scope includes both current workforce development and preparation of future professionals entering the MCH field. Funding for this opportunity is structured as a single award with a total estimated program funding amount of 1,970,000 dollars. The cooperative agreement mechanism indicates substantial involvement from the federal agency in guiding program activities. While the award ceiling matches the total funding amount, no minimum award floor is specified, suggesting flexibility within the single-award structure. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement, allowing applicants to focus resources on programmatic execution rather than leveraging additional funds. Eligible applicants include a range of higher education institutions and qualifying tribal entities. Specifically, public institutions of higher education, nonprofit private institutions of higher education, and Native American tribal governments or organizations that operate as public or nonprofit higher education institutions are eligible to apply. All applicants must be domestic, defined to include all U.S. states, territories, and freely associated states. This eligibility framework reflects the program’s emphasis on academic and training institutions with demonstrated capacity to deliver workforce development programming. The application process is expected to follow standard federal grant submission procedures through electronic systems, with a firm deadline for submission. Applications must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the specified due date. While detailed application components are not outlined in the forecast notice, applicants should anticipate requirements typical of HRSA cooperative agreements, such as project narratives, work plans, budgets, and organizational capacity statements. Evaluation criteria will likely focus on the applicant’s ability to deliver national-level training, demonstrate subject matter expertise, and effectively support the MCH workforce. Key timeline elements include an estimated posting date in mid-May, an application deadline in mid-June, and an anticipated award date in early August. The project start date is projected for early September, indicating a relatively short turnaround between award notification and program initiation. No recurring cycle is explicitly stated, and this appears to be a discrete funding opportunity rather than a regularly scheduled program. Applicants are encouraged to monitor official postings for updates and additional guidance once the full announcement is released. For additional information, applicants may contact the Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s Division of Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development. A general contact phone number and grants inbox are provided for inquiries. These contacts can assist with clarification on eligibility, application requirements, and program expectations once the full funding announcement becomes available.