MCH Quarterly Highlights

Family Leader Convening Highlights and Reflections

Most importantly, family leaders shared their stories as parents and caregivers navigating health needs for their children and families. These stories help us better understand where gaps exist and how improvements can shape better outcomes for families. 

We reflected on how navigating systems of care should put families at the center, while also coordinating more effectively so that families aren’t navigating them without support. 

We are excited to continue the conversation and learning in virtual spaces as we head into the next year. 

See below for family leader reflections.

Family Leader Reflections

Want to get involved? 

Uplift/Wyoming Family Voices and MCH are seeking parents and caregivers from across the state to join our network of family leaders. As a family leader, you'll have opportunities to support program and service design, participate in MCH projects and initiatives, and serve as a resource for other families navigating MCH services. If you’d like to learn more or get involved, please contact Michelle Heinen at mheinen@upliftwy.org.

Megan Meredith, Child Health Program Coordinator, Graduated from the Certified Public Manager (CPM) program at Laramie County Community College.

Title V MCH Block Grant Annual Review Completed

On September 1, our team participated in the annual Title V MCH Block Grant Review. Consultants with expertise in maternal and child health, along with federal staff and partners, reflected on our current efforts and planned activities, the priorities guiding our work, and the various partnerships that make MCH work possible. Reviewer remarks were largely positive and encouraging, but also offered additional considerations and ideas to help us modify our approach as we continue this work.

Once our combined application and report is fully accepted by the funding agency, it will be available at https://mchb.tvisdata.hrsa.gov/Home/StateApplicationOrAnnualReport. 

MCH Epidemiology and Data Updates

PRAMS

The Wyoming Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) team received cleaned and weighted 2024 data, which covers 9 months of the year, due to a federal government order that halted 2024 data collection after September 2024 births.  The Wyoming PRAMS team is working quickly to have this data available.  WY PRAMS also attended the local Laramie County Community Baby Shower earlier in September, where PRAMS information, along with pregnancy and postpartum information, was provided to attendees, including pregnant and newly postpartum mothers. Additionally, in late September, WY PRAMS presented and was a plenary speaker at the CityMatCH conference in Portland, OR, on recent efforts to keep PRAMS running over the past nearly 2 years. 

Please visit our website to learn more about WY PRAMS. If you would like to be involved in the WY PRAMS Steering Committee or have any questions about WY PRAMS, including the rebranding or the dashboard update, please reach out to wdh-wyprams@wyo.gov.

MCH Program Updates

Child Health and Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs (CYSHCN) Program

The Child Health Program and Cent$ible Nutrition Program have teamed up to launch Backpack Chefs, helping elementary and middle schoolers turn their weekend food bag ingredients into delicious snacks and meals. The initiative aims to excite kids about cooking while building lifelong kitchen skills. Check out their website and recipe videos here.

Awardee Spotlight: Wyoming Indian Elementary

Wyoming Indian Elementary used its Child Health FY2025 funding to fight food insecurity by stocking the shelves of its school pantry, the first brick-and-mortar pantry on the Wind River Indian Reservation, guided by the conviction that the children we feed today become the leaders of tomorrow.

Women and Infant Health Program

The Wyoming Perinatal Quality Collaborative (WyPQC) completed its learning webinars for 2026. If you missed any or want to watch again, all WyPQC learning webinars are available on our website.

Learning webinars will begin again in January 2027. To receive a direct invite to your calendar for future learning opportunities through the WyPQC, please email wdh-mch-wypqc@wyo.gov.

Youth and Young Adult Health Program

The YAYAHP is partnering with the Wyoming Department of Education to continue the availability of the Care Solace mental health care coordination service. In addition to being available in several districts in the state, any family in Wyoming with a school-aged child can “self-refer” by answering a few questions on the Care Solace platform. A care coordinator will then reach out to the family to connect them to mental health care services.

Other News and Announcements

Medicaid News and Updates

Wyoming Medicaid wants to help moms, babies, and families stay healthy. They are making some important changes to make it easier to get care:



• Better Support for Hospitals: As of July 1, 2026, critical access hospitals that provide labor and delivery services will receive reimbursement at 100% of cost on all inpatient services.

• Higher Reimbursement for Maternity Services: As of July 1, 2026, Medicaid payment rates for maternity services increased to 105% of Medicare. This rate update applies to prenatal care, delivery services, global maternity care, and postpartum care.

• Changes to Pregnancy Billing: Starting in January 2027, national coding for maternity care will shift from traditional bundled billing, allowing prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum services to be reported and billed separately. Wyoming Medicaid will update its fee schedules and billing guidance to reflect these changes and anticipates that this change may improve provider compensation for maternity services and improve team-based care for patients.  

• Medicaid Lodging for Adults: Medicaid can cover a lodging allowance for adults covered on a comprehensive Medicaid package when it corresponds with a medically necessary appointment with an enrolled Wyoming Medicaid provider. This can include maternity-related stays. 

Lodging coverage and allowance eligibility are based on a medically necessary appointment that is at least 200 round-trip miles away from the beneficiary's place of residence. While this change was effective July 1, 2026, Medicaid system updates will not be completed until December 2026, at which time eligible lodging stays will be retroactively reimbursed. 



Entities interested in enrolling as a lodging provider may contact the provider enrollment team at 1-877-399-0121.

• Non-Emergent Medical Ride Authorization Update: As of July 1, 2026, non-emergency medical transportation services provided by an enrolled Wyoming Medicaid Provider, excluding taxi providers, may now be initiated by the transportation provider by contacting the Customer Service Center at 1-855-294-2127 and requesting authorization. Prior to July 1, 2026, this authorization could only be obtained by the beneficiary. 

• Blood Sugar Monitoring: Medicaid covers continuous blood sugar monitoring for pregnant women with diabetes, which continues through six weeks postpartum.

• Helpful Resources: You can find pregnancy resources and guides on the Your Healthy Pregnancy Webpage and WYhealth Member Materials Webpage. You can also view their pregnancy and postpartum resource packets in English and Spanish.

For billing assistance, claims inquiries, or questions about these updated rates, please contact Provider & Member Services at 1-888-996-6223.

Apply Now: Wyoming Lactation Workforce Program

Repost from the University of Wyoming Maternal Health Listserv, September 21, 2026

Applications are now open for the Wyoming Lactation Workforce Program, a new partnership between the UW Rural Health Institute and the University of California San Diego Extension Program offering full tuition assistance (plus the IBLCE exam fee) for a cohort of Wyoming residents to complete UCSD's Pathway 2 lactation education program.

We're prioritizing applicants who plan to practice in underserved areas of Wyoming and who already have a plan for how they'll use their IBCLC credential to serve their community.

Applications opened on September 21 and will close on November 13. 

Applications consist of a written application form, submission of a CV/resume, and a letter of recommendation.

Learn more here.

Job Alert: State School Nurse Position at Wyoming Department of Education

Are you passionate about student health? Do you want to be a resource and support to school nurses? This job opportunity is waiting for you. 

The State School Nurse Consultant provides statewide leadership, consultation, technical assistance, training, data analysis, and program coordination to strengthen school nursing services, student health and safety, and educational access and outcomes. The position carries out responsibilities consistent with W.S. 21-2-202(a)(xxxviii) and (xxxix), supports compliance and student-support functions, and assists the State Superintendent, school districts, and district boards of trustees in meeting applicable student health, behavioral health, prevention, and school-safety responsibilities. Apply now!

Child Care Start-Up Grant Applications Open through November 2, 2026

The grant program, administered by the Wyoming Community Foundation, was launched in

2025 and has since distributed over $279,000 to 34 child care providers throughout the state.

The goal of the grant funding is to help make child care more sustainable in Wyoming communities. This allows parents who need or want to work to do so. It also helps support businesses.

Child care shortages remain a challenge across Wyoming. Over the past decade, the state has

lost more than 200 licensed child care providers, declining from 721 in 2014 to 508 as of November 2025. Limited child care options impact not only families, but also employers and

local economies.

The current application period closes on November 2, 2026. Grant awards up to $10,000 per applicant will be distributed with a continued focus on expanding access to care. 

Priority will be given to:

• Applicants located in or serving low-access areas of the state
• Child care businesses accepting or planning to accept child care subsidies
• Child care businesses with strong business plans
• Applications that prioritize sustainability and educational quality
• Requests that demonstrate how funding will increase enrollment

Learn more and submit an application! 

Early Childhood Access Resources and Eligibility System (ECARES) Updates

The Department of Family Services (DFS) Early Childhood Access Resources and Eligibility System (ECARES) platform is one year old! More than 1,800 families have signed up to ECARES since it began in August 2025.

How does ECARES work? 

ECARES offers families a way to shop for child care providers. On the ECARES platform, a family can filter for their preference to quickly learn if a provider accepts subsidies, provides weekend care, provides transportation, how much they charge, and more. They can also see visit or violation information for the child care provider. Families are able to complete a pre-screener to identify if they may be eligible for child care subsidy, and then complete and submit an application for child care subsidy.

Providers use ECARES to receive subsidy payments for qualified children in their care and to access and track staff qualifications, including training and background check status.

Do you have questions about ECARES? DFS staff are available on the phone and at local DFS offices throughout Wyoming to help providers and families navigate the new system. More information and a link to the platform is available on the DFS ECARES website at https://dfs.wyo.gov/providers/dfs-ecares/, or by watching the ECARES commercial video.

Parent Information Center (PIC) Presents: Parenting the Love and Logic Way

PIC is hosting a virtual six-session Parenting the Love and Logic Way® course, as well as a four-session bonus extension course, Love and Logic Supporting Youth with Special Needs.

Both courses are completely FREE for all Wyoming families, and sessions will be held virtually via Zoom. Please see the key details below:

Parenting the Love and Logic Way® (Six-Part Series)

• Dates: Mondays and Thursdays — October 19, 22, 26, 29, and November 2, 5
• Time: 6:30 PM
• Location: Virtual (Zoom)

Love and Logic Supporting Youth with Special Needs (Optional Extension)

• Dates: Mondays and Thursdays — November 9, 12, 16, 19
• Time: 6:30 PM
• Location: Virtual (Zoom)
• Please Note: Completion of the 6-session main Love and Logic course (or proof of prior completion) is required to attend this extension.

Registration closes on October 12, and space is limited to 10 families per training session to keep sessions interactive.

This flyer contains more details. Families can easily register by scanning the QR codes on the flyer or by using the links below.

Main Course Registration: 

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJTIRG3mTkSQvUWVAiqbbQ

Special Needs Extension:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/hv1n1vh2TYme8tYSH0PB2w