Strong parenting skills aren't something everyone naturally has. Becoming a parent at a young age can also add to the stresses of paying everyday expenses like food and housing.

Research has shown that programs where nurses and social workers visit at risk-families helps build stronger parenting skills and reduce strain on the medical system.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that $88 million in grants under the Affordable Care Act will be awarded to states to help fund such programs.

"These investments will help states to create and support evidence-based home visiting programs that improve the wellbeing of children and families," says Health Resources and Services Administration administrator Mary Wakefield. "States will be using these grants to design programs that best serve their residents, providing important help to at-risk families, while gathering more detailed information on which approaches work best to put young children on the path to a healthy life at an early age."

The Center for American Progress says that poverty-stricken women are more likely to have an array of health conditions like diabetes and depression. Programs where in-home assistance is offered may help some families stop the poverty cycle and reliance on the healthcare system.