There are many systems and services that contribute to children’s health, development, and well-being. However, many of our health systems are complicated, difficult to use, and have strict eligibility requirements; and many health services exist in silos and are not well coordinated. As a result, access for families is difficult. Many children who are not given a chance to thrive and get a healthy start in life grow up to be unhealthy adults with chronic and costly health conditions.
Blending and braiding existing funding across service systems, or developing cross-service funding streams, can improve families’ access to services, ensure more equity in service utilization, and improve outcomes for children. This policy brief explores the potential and challenges of blending and braiding funding from multiple sources to optimize child well-being. We intend to highlight innovations that can guide the broader implementation of cross-sector support for services.