After years of advocacy, research and community-led and state-systems work, Illinois has moved closer toward advancing a statewide Universal Newborn Support Systems (UNSS), a voluntary, no-cost postpartum home visiting program that will offer every family with a newborn the support, screening, and connections they need in the critical weeks after birth. Because the Illinois General Assembly approved HB4606 (Faver Dias, Castro) this spring, Illinois will lay the administrative groundwork necessary to establish a statewide framework for UNSS. We anticipate Governor JB Pritzker will sign the bill into law this summer.
What HB4606 Does
The 2018 Illinois Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Report from the Illinois Department of Public Health specifically recommended that the state expand short-term universal home visiting to all mothers within three weeks of giving birth; HB4606 answers that recommendation by allowing the state to begin building the key infrastructure and pathways needed to eventually scale UNSS statewide.
Once enacted, HB4606 will authorize the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to design, implement, and maintain the infrastructure to support a statewide universal newborn home visiting program. Under the new law, IDHS may create a list of evidence-based, voluntary home visiting models, coordinate data collection across local programs, and work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders, from hospitals and community health workers to insurance carriers and local public health authorities, to build a cohesive, statewide system for local UNSS programs.
Why UNSS is critical for maternal, infant, and family well-being
The weeks following birth are among the most consequential in a family’s life. Research consistently shows that postpartum education and care programs like UNSS reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, improve physical, mental and social wellbeing for parents and newborns, and strengthen family stability during a high-stress transition period.
Families who accept the offer of a UNSS program receive a home visit from a nurse, community health worker or other trained professional around three weeks after childbirth. That visitor conducts a brief maternal and infant health screening and connects the family to any additional services and resources they need and want. Participation is entirely voluntary, offered at no cost and carries no adverse consequences for families who decline.
