The HRSA grant covers a 5-year period from April 2024-March 2029 and has the following goals to support families and children in Maine:
- Engage EHDI system stakeholders at the state/territory level to improve language acquisition outcomes.
- Disaggregate data to identify populations and address disparities in language acquisition outcomes.
- Provide a coordinated statewide infrastructure to ensure newborns are screened by 1 month of age, identified by 3 months of age, enrolled in EI by 6 months of age (1-3-6 recommendations), and loss to follow-up/loss to documentation is reduced.
- Support state/territory-wide capacity for hearing screening in young children up to age 3
- Develop mechanisms to support and engage families with DHH children and DHH adults throughout the statewide EHDI system of services
- Engage, educate, and train health professionals and service providers in the statewide EHDI system about the 1-3-6 recommendations; the need for hearing screening up to age 3, the benefits of a family-centered medical home and the importance of communicating accurate, comprehensive, up-to-date, evidence-based information to families to facilitate the decision-making process to enroll in early intervention services.
Earliest Interactions is a collaboration between Maine CDC and MECDHH to meet the goals.
This section is interactive; tap on terms to learn more!
What is EHDI?
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) is a federal program that supports states in ensuring that every newborn is screened for a hearing difference prior to hospital discharge. EHDI programs also ensure that infants not passing the hearing screening receive diagnostic evaluation before three months of age and, when necessary, are enrolled in early intervention programs by six months of age. In Maine, this work is done with grant funds from US CDC, HRSA and MCH block grant funds through Maine’s EHDI program (Maine Newborn Hearing Program, Maine CDC). Read further to find out more about Maine’s EHDI system.
The EHDI System
The Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is an office of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Their mission is to provide the leadership, expertise, information, and tools to ensure conditions in which all Maine people can be healthy. Maine's Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (Maine Newborn Hearing Program) is part of Maternal and Child Health within the Maine CDC Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) Program.
MNHP WebsiteThe Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is a federally funded program that provides health care to people who are geographically isolated, economically, or medically vulnerable. The Maternal and Child Health Bureau works to improve the health and well-being of America’s mothers, children, and families. Nearly 90% of HRSA's budget is awarded through grants and cooperative agreements to approximately 3,000 awardees, including community-based organizations, colleges and universities, hospitals, state, local, and tribal governments, and private entities.
HRSA WebsiteMaine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MECDHH) provides high quality, state of the art services to students who are deaf and hard of hearing, their families and learning communities statewide.
MECDHH WebsiteThe Child Development Services / Early Intervention for Maine (CDS/EI for ME) system is an Intermediate Educational Unit that provides both Early Intervention (birth through two years) and Free Appropriate Public Education (for ages three through five years) under the supervision of the Maine Department of Education.
CDS/EI for ME WebsiteAt a Glance
These four organizations work together to provide information, resources, and support through the newborn hearing screening process to help families and their children achieve the 1-3-6 EHDI goals and help improve language acquisition outcomes.
*a.k.a. EI for ME
Our Team
Meet some of the people who are working to ensure that families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and the professionals who work with them have up-to-date information, resources and support to get their children the services they need to reach their highest potential.
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Family-Based Organization
25% of our HRSA grant funding is allocated to support family engagement and family support activities. Maine Hands & Voices was fortunate to be chosen as Maine’s Family-Based Organization for this grant cycle. Because our chapter has an established Guide By Your Side Program with both Parent Guides and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Guides, we feel we are in the best position to offer this support for families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Our chapter and GBYS Program offer many opportunities throughout the year for families to attend events (virtually during COVID), participate in Zoom webinars, and for their children to be able to take advantage of fun activities planned on a regular basis. Since our program is imbedded into the Part C (CDS/EI for ME) process, families have opportunities to meet our Parent Guides and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Guides at any time through this process for support.
Who is Maine Hands & Voices?
In their own words: “Maine Hands & Voices is a nonprofit, parent-led organization that provides unbiased support to families with children who are Deaf or hard of hearing. We are here to answer your questions, give parent-to-parent support from someone who has been on a similar journey, and offer opportunities to meet other families with children who are Deaf or hard of hearing.”
