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Congress averted a second government shutdown by passing a Federal budget for 2026. This analysis examines what the budget supports for mothers and families.

On February 3, the House of Representatives bill H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 was signed into law following negotiations to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the funding bills. This “minibus” bill package included the Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) bill, which includes maternal and child health (MCH) initiatives. 

The Big Picture

Overall, the bill passage signals a Congressional commitment to maternal and child health (MCH), rejecting many of the President’s proposed cuts.  Further, the House and Senate rejected the President’s proposal to restructure public health agencies contained in the FY2026 President’s Budget Proposal. 

While the bill avoided sweeping cuts, a mix of flat funding and modest increases were included. Below are the highlights: 

Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

$113.5 million ($3 million increase) for the CDC’s Safe Motherhood/Infant Health programs to improve the health of pregnant and postpartum individuals and their infants. Of note, the President’s 2026 budget proposal had suggested eliminating funding for the Safe Motherhood program. This funding is the engine behind:

  • ERASE MM: Supporting Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs).
  • Perinatal Quality Collaboratives: Facilitating clinical quality improvement to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity.
  • PRAMS: Collecting data on pregnancy and postpartum experiences.

Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)

$8 million ($1 million increase) to expand the Maternal Mental Health Hotline, including public awareness campaigns, coordination with VA and DoD for service members and military families, and staff training to meet population-specific needs.

$12 million ($1 million increase) for grants to states to create telepsychiatry consultation programs referred to as “Screening and Treatment for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders” (MMHSUD).” Grants will help states train obstetric providers to screen, assess, and treat maternal mental health disorders. 

$15 million ($3 million increase) for Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) grants to states improve access to maternal and obstetric care in rural areas, expand services from preconception through postpartum, and develop sustainable financing models.

$55 million (level funding) for State Maternal Health Innovation Grants to drive state-led innovation, strengthen care services, address workforce needs, and expand postpartum and interconception care.

$17.3 million ($2 million increase) to expand adoption of the Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health (AIM) safety bundles nationwide. AIM includes bundles on perinatal mental health conditions and substance use disorder.

$145.25 million (level funding) for the Healthy Start program, reducing infant mortality and improving maternal and infant health in at-risk communities. This includes continuing the enhanced Healthy Start model launched in FY 2023 and prioritizing maternal-child advanced practice professionals. (Note, the President’s proposed budget and the September-passed House bill eliminated this program.)

$45.55 million ($3.5 million increase) to expand telehealth and distance education, improving access to care in rural and underserved communities. Though this funding is not specific to maternal-child health, it can still be used to support MCH access.

$818.7 million (level funding) for the state formula fund and a $5 million increase to the Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS) portion) for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, a flexible source of funding that allows states to target their most urgent maternal and child health needs. The President’s budget request had included a $46.7 million cut for the program, and the House passed a bill with a proposed $46.5 million decrease last September. 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

$30.2 million ($2 million increase) for suicide prevention programs, including $23.8 million for the Zero Suicide model, a comprehensive approach across health systems.

$38.9 million (level funding) for the Pregnant and Postpartum Women Program (PPW), providing family-centered residential substance use disorder treatment for pregnant and postpartum women, their children, and other family members. States using collaborative best-practice models for opioid use disorder treatment will be prioritized.

Office of Women’s Health

$2 million ($1.75 million increase) to advance the Stillbirth Working Group recommendations, focusing on better data collection, risk reduction in high-impact populations, and expanded maternal mental health and bereavement support.

Administration on Children and Families (ACF)

$1.7 billion (level funding) for the Social Services Block Grant Program (SSBG) to support low-income children and families, people with disabilities, and older adults. Both the House and Senate committee reports included language regarding Family Resource Centers. This language will be sent to ACF and encourages states to use a portion of their SSBG funding to “support services and programs at school and community-based Family Resource Centers to strengthen families through a localized, family-centered approach.” Family Resource Centers provide:

  • parenting support and education, including peer support groups
  • navigation of health care and social services
  • mental health counseling and substance use disorder treatment for children and families
  • early learning and afterschool programs
  • financial planning and job training for parents

$105 million (level funding) for the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Grant program, which provides formula grants to states to improve their child protective service systems. This funding includes $60 million to help states continue to develop and implement plans of safe care. 

$482.5 million ($65 million increase) for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program, enabling states to operate coordinated programs of family preservation services, time-limited family reunification services, community-based family support services, and adoption promotion and support services.

$5.5 billion ($1.3 billion decrease) for Payments for Foster Care and Permanency. This includes funding for Title IV-E programs authorized under the Family First Prevention Services Act that prevent foster care placement, such as those that:

  • address adoption disruptions
  • provide mental health prevention and treatment
  • support substance use prevention and recovery
  • offer in-home parenting skills programs
  • expand kinship navigator services

$2.75 million (level funding) for the Family First Clearinghouse, which reviews and evaluates evidence-based programs to strengthen child welfare systems and prevent foster care placement. 

Department of Labor

$191.1 million (level funding) to the Employee Benefits Security Administration EBSA), including support for additional efforts directed toward systemic and targeted audits of health care coverage provided through ERISA plans, to ensure parity between mental and physical health care coverage as required by current law. The President has paused enforcement of mental health parity rules and requested a cut of $10 million for EBSA in the FY2026 budget. 

The Policy Center is part of several coalitions that successfully advocated for the FY2026 maternal and child health funding, including the Family Resource Center Coalition and the Maternal and Child Health Appropriations Alliance (MCHAA). 

For a deeper dive into the specific funding priorities we advocated for this year, read our September analysis of recommendations to Congress.