State Medicaid agencies and Title V programs are natural partners. Both share a commitment to improving the health of mothers, children, and families and both face pressure to do more with limited resources. Yet too often, these programs operate in parallel, developing separate priorities, running separate processes, and missing opportunities to strengthen each other’s work. Alignment between these programs doesn’t happen on its own. Agencies must first build the right foundation: establishing trust, defining shared goals, and understanding how each program operates before deciding where and how to act together.

This brief introduces the Alignment between Medicaid and Title V Programs Framework, a practical six-step approach adapted from a tool originally developed by the Center for Health Care Strategies and the National Association of Medicaid Directors for the Aligning Early Childhood and Medicaid initiative. The framework helps states move from siloed efforts to coordinated action, regardless of where they begin.

The brief is a product of the Center for Maternal and Child Health Medicaid Partnerships (CMMP), a national technical assistance center supporting state Medicaid and Title V agencies in strengthening their partnerships and improving MCH coordination. CMMP is managed by Altarum in partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies, Family Voices, and the Association for Maternal and Child Health Programs.

The Center for Maternal and Child Health Medicaid Partnerships is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,999,021.00 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.