Health & Human Services Programming
NACo health and human services programming elevates and drives county innovation in promoting the health and development of our residents throughout the lifespan. With expert and peer support, counties are championing effective PN-3 policies that support our youngest residents and their families, building the supply of quality childcare, strategically investing opioid settlement funds to reduce overdose deaths, championing public health and exploring the use of artificial intelligence to support our role in delivering public assistance programs.
“The reason we went down the path of starting the home visitation project, which became Brighter Beginnings, was because of NACo’s Prenatal to Three initiative. We were able to hand off this program to our City/County Health Department when it was ready to fly. I remain so thankful to the Pritzker Children’s Initiative and to NACo[RF] for allowing us to participate in that initial cohort that led to this program. It is making a difference in people’s lives.”
– Janet Thompson, County Commissioner, Boone County, Missouri
“I came home thinking about how special this group of people are. I feel like some of the magic that happened is learning how to break down barriers across traditional lines, big counties to small counties, electeds to SMEs, and so much more. NACo has really raised a group of leaders.”
– Brad Finegood, Strategic Advisor, Public Health, Seattle and King County, Washington
Current Health and Human Services Programming
Public Health Leadership Initiative
Current Opportunity:
Apply for NACo’s inaugural Public Health Leadership Academy to strengthen county leadership in advancing public health. County teams participating in the learning cohort will identify new strategies to improve health outcomes and develop an action plan to address a health priority in their county through both virtual and in-person trainings.
Childcare Supply Initiative
The Childcare Supply Network supports local leaders in addressing childcare challenges. Participating counties are working with national experts to co-create sustainable solutions and financing strategies to strengthen local childcare systems in response to workforce needs.
Early Childhood Development Initiative
Counties play a crucial role in fostering communities that support positive outcomes for young children. Resources and peer learning opportunities are available to help counties advance programs and policies for children from birth to age three.
Opioid Solutions Center
NACo's Opioid Solutions Center empowers local leaders to invest resources in effective treatment, recovery, prevention and harm reduction practices that save lives and address the underlying causes of substance use disorder.
Transforming Human Services Initiative
County human services provide critical supports that serve as a foundation for moving individuals, children and families out of poverty and improving their immediate and long-term health outcomes.
How To Get Involved
- Review the application information for NACo's inaugural Public Health Leadership Academy and apply by March 13. Application information can be found above.
- NACo will launch applications for a SNAP-focused cohort in Spring 2026 to help counties troubleshoot emerging challenges, identify AI-driven best practices and share innovations. Sign up here to receive notices for new human services opportunities.
- Join the Healthy Counties Innovation Council.
Stay up-to-date
Key Resources
Building a Legacy of Health: Transforming the Health and Wellbeing of Our Communities
From designing neighborhoods and public spaces, maintaining the corridors that allow us to travel within and across communities, caring for our physical and mental health, ensuring public safety, and strengthening environmental stewardship, county leaders make decisions that impact our everyday lives.
Counties 4 Kids Initiative
Opioid Solutions Strategy Briefs
NACo’s Opioid Solutions Strategy Briefs document 15 high-impact opioid abatement strategies from this list that are under county authority. Each brief summarizes the available evidence, best practices for implementation, county examples and links to additional resources, including opportunities for specialized technical assistance.
Supporting Families Through Home Visiting Programs
Supporting Families Through Home Visiting Programs provides an overview of and several examples of how these programs address the development of both parents and children and are aimed at enhancing family well-being.
Supporting the Whole Child: Counties Strengthening Prenatal-to-Three Wellbeing
The Supporting the Whole Child: Counties Strengthening Prenatal-to-Three Wellbeing issue brief defines the whole child model and provides county examples.
House Agriculture Committee introduces 2026 Farm Bill
On February 13, House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.-15) introduced the House version of the 2026 Farm Bill, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.
Drug tracking software helps counties identify trends, save lives
Florida counties are using an artificial intelligence tool called Drug TRAC to track and report drug trends, with the aim of providing quicker outreach and saving lives.
White House Executive Order establishes national substance use disorder response
On January 29, the White House issued an Executive Order (EO) establishing the Great American Recovery Initiative, a new federal effort aimed at coordinating a national response to substance use disorder (SUD).
USDA and HHS release new dietary guidelines
On January 7, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. unveiled the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030.
SAMHSA cancels, reinstates thousands of behavioral health grants
Late on Wednesday, January 14, the Administration announced that thousands of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants that had been terminated just one day earlier would be reinstated.
House passes three-year extension of ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits
On January 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits (EPTCs) for three years, sending the measure to the Senate as lawmakers work to negotiate a bipartisan compromise.
Program Lead
