What is the purpose of a needs assessment?
Every five years, Colorado’s Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Program conducts a state needs assessment of the health and well-being of women, children, youth and families to guide state and local public health work and to meet Title V MCH Block Grant requirements. The goal of the assessment is to gather information to understand what issues are facing these populations and then to identify seven to ten specific priorities that can be positively impacted by public health work during the next five years. State and local MCH staff use the selected MCH priorities as a tool to focus efforts, align resources, and to positively impact the lives of women, children and youth including those with special health care needs, and their families.