Special Announcement from the Division of Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development

Updated Maternal and Child Health Leadership Competencies

Monday, August 21, 2023

The Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s Division of MCH Workforce Development is proud to announce an update to the Maternal and Child Health Leadership Competencies! The MCH Leadership Competencies help equip the MCH workforce with the knowledge, skills, personal characteristics, and values to improve the health of MCH populations.

The revised Competencies address the following:

• Update and expand Cultural Competence to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) to better acknowledge systemic discrimination based on factors such as race or ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, abilities, and geographic location as well as how historical trauma impacts MCH.
• Integrate concepts of cultural responsiveness, healthy equity, and social determinants of health (SDOH).
• Encourage the use of plain language in all forms of communication, as suggested by health literacy principles.
• Elevate knowledge generated from lived experience and from communities.
• Expand concepts of Coaching and Mentoring to focus on the mutually beneficial relationships that contribute to building and strengthening the capacity of the public health workforce.
• Enhance the Systems Approach competency to reflect the impact of broader systems on the health and well-being of mothers, children, and families.
• Acknowledge the role of clear and equitable organization policies to increase transparency, accountability, and stability.

This document represents the continuation of a dialogue regarding MCH leadership and the MCH Leadership Competencies. As always, we welcome and look forward to your ongoing involvement in examining and defining the knowledge areas and skills that are essential to the practice of effective MCH leadership.

Click here for MCH Leadership Competencies.