Advocacy at NICHQ

Advocacy Overview

We aim to improve children’s health by working with partners to provide a world where every child achieves their optimal health. We envision a nation where every child has an equitable opportunity to grow up healthy, regardless of race, income, or geography. We believe that by addressing disparities and enhancing health systems, we can create a future where all children can flourish.

At NICHQ, our core values of equity, collaboration, innovation, and integrity are the foundation of all our advocacy efforts. These values guide every aspect of our work, ensuring that our strategies and actions are aligned with our commitment to improving the health of children and families. Our focus on equity drives us to address disparities in healthcare access and outcomes, advocating for policies that support all children, particularly those from underserved communities. Collaboration fuels our partnerships with families and communities, ensuring that our advocacy is informed by diverse perspectives and grounded in the real needs of those we serve. Innovation pushes us to seek out and implement the most effective, evidence-based solutions to the challenges facing children’s health, while integrity ensures that our advocacy is conducted with transparency, accountability, and an unwavering commitment to doing what is right for children, families, and communities. Together, these values ensure that our advocacy efforts are not only impactful but also resonate with the needs and aspirations of those we seek to support.

The NICHQ advocacy team regularly monitors legislation, regulations, and guidance relevant to our work around improving children’s health. The advocacy team supports NICHQ in identifying trends in the public sector shaping the field of public health. For the 118th Congress, NICHQ’s advocacy work focuses on policies and practices that support maternal and child health including maternal mental health, early childhood development, immunization and preventive care, health policy and systems change as well as integration, and proactively reducing health disparities, with a specific focus on racial and socio-economic factors.

To fulfill its advocacy priorities for children, families, and communities, NICHQ leverages a multifaceted approach that combines evidence-based strategies with community-driven insights. NICHQ actively collaborates with healthcare providers and community leaders who influence and shape policies that promote health equity, maternal and child health, early childhood development, and health care systems change. NICHQ advocates for initiatives that address systemic inequities and improve access to quality healthcare. Furthermore, NICHQ empowers families and communities by providing them with the tools, data, and support they need to advocate for their own health and well-being. As such, NICHQ advocates for research and evaluation funding to further enhance our understanding of health services, population and community needs, and disparities to better drive change in children’s health. Through this continued engagement, NICHQ supports sustainable, meaningful change that ensures all children have the opportunity to grow up healthy and thrive.

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