1.This Act may be cited as the
Education Begins at Home
Act
.
2.Congress finds that—
(1)the home is the
first and most important learning environment for children, and parents are
their children’s first and most influential teacher;
(2)through parent
education and family support, we can promote parents’ ability to enhance their
children’s development from birth until entry into kindergarten thereby helping
parents to prepare their children for success in school;
(3)undiagnosed and
unaddressed developmental and health problems can impede overall child
development and school readiness;
(4)all parents
deserve and can benefit from—
(A)research-based
information regarding child development;
(B)enrichment
opportunities with their children; and
(C)early
opportunities to become involved with their community and schools; and
(5)early childhood
home visitation leads to positive outcomes for children and families, including
readiness for school, improved child health and development, positive parenting
practices, and reductions in child maltreatment.
3.The purposes of this Act are as
follows:
(1)To enable States
to deliver services under Parents as Teachers programs, or other quality
programs of early childhood home visitation, to pregnant women and parents of
children from birth until entry into kindergarten in order to promote parents’
ability to support their children’s optimal cognitive, language,
social-emotional, and physical development.
(2)To improve Early
Head Start programs carried out under
section
645A of the Head Start
Act (42
U.S.C. 9840a).
(3)To expand Parents
as Teachers programs, or other quality programs of early childhood home
visitation, so as to more effectively reach and serve families with English
language learners.
(4)To expand Parents
as Teachers programs, or other quality programs of early childhood home
visitation, so as to more effectively reach and serve families serving in the
military.
4.In this Act:
(1)The term eligible family means—
(A)a woman who is
pregnant; or
(B)a parent or
primary caregiver of a child who is from birth until entry into
kindergarten.
(2)The term home visitation means services
provided in the permanent or temporary residence, or in other familiar
surroundings, of the individual receiving such services.
(3)Except
as provided in section 8, the term Secretary means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
(4)The
term State means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia,
and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
5.State grants for
early childhood home visitation
(a)The
Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, shall make grants
to States to enable such States to establish or expand Parents as Teachers
programs, or other quality programs of early childhood home visitation, as
specified under subsection (f). Each grant shall consist of the allotment
determined for a State under subsection (b).
(b)Determination
of reservations; amount of allotments; authorization of appropriations
(1)Reservations
from appropriationsFrom the total amount made available to carry
out this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve—
(A)3 percent for an
independent evaluation of the activities carried out under this Act, as
specified in section 9;
(B)not more than 5
percent for Federal administrative costs; and
(C)2 percent for
training and technical assistance for States.
(2)State
allotments for early childhood home visitation
(A)In accordance with subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall
allot among each of the States the total amount made available to carry out
this section for any fiscal year and not reserved under paragraph (1), to carry
out early childhood home visitation in accordance with this section.
(B)Determination
of State allotments
(i)Subject to clause (ii), the Secretary shall allot the
amount made available under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year among the States
in proportion to the number of children, aged from birth to 5 years, who reside
within the State, compared to the number of such individuals who reside in all
such States for that fiscal year.
(ii)No
State receiving an allotment under clause (i) may receive more than
$20,000,000.
(3)Authorization
of appropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this section $400,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2006 through
2008.
(c)A State that desires to receive a grant under this
section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. The
application shall contain the following information:
(1)An assurance that
the Governor of the State has designated a lead State agency, such as the State
educational agency or the State health and human services agency, to carry out
the activities under this section.
(2)An assurance that
the State will, if requested, participate in the independent evaluation under
section 9.
(3)An assurance that
the State will reserve 10 percent of the grant funds for training and technical
assistance of staff of programs of early childhood home visitation.
(4)An assurance that
the State will authorize child care resource and referral agencies to refer
parents seeking home visitation services.
(5)The results of a
statewide needs assessment that describes—
(A)the quality and
capacity of existing programs of early childhood home visitation in the
State;
(B)the number and
types of eligible families who are receiving services under such programs;
and
(C)the gaps in early
childhood home visitation in the State.
(6)A State plan
containing the following:
(A)A description of
the State’s strategy to establish or expand Parents as Teachers programs, or
other quality programs of early childhood home visitation, to serve all
eligible families in the State.
(B)A description of
the Parents as Teachers programs, or other quality programs of early childhood
home visitation, that will be supported by a grant under this section.
(C)A description of
how the proposed program of early childhood home visitation will promote
positive parenting skills and children’s early learning and development.
(D)A description of
how the proposed program of early childhood home visitation will incorporate
the authorized activities described in subsection (f).
(E)How the lead
State agency will build on and promote coordination among existing programs of
early childhood home visitation in an effort to promote an array of home
visitation that ensures more eligible families are being served and are getting
the most appropriate services to meet their needs.
(F)How the lead
State agency will promote channels of communication between staff of programs
of early childhood home visitation and staff of other early childhood education
programs, such as Head Start programs carried out under the
Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et
seq.) and Early Head Start programs carried out under section 645A of such Act,
preschool programs, and child care programs, to facilitate the coordination of
services for eligible families.
(G)How the lead
State agency will provide training and technical assistance to staff of
programs of early childhood home visitation involved in activities under this
section to more effectively meet the needs of the eligible families
served.
(H)How the lead
State agency will evaluate the activities supported under this section in order
to demonstrate outcomes related to the enhancement of—
(i)parent knowledge
of early learning and development;
(ii)positive
parenting practices related to early learning and development; and
(iii)children’s
cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical development.
(I)Such other information as the
Secretary may require.
(d)
(1)The Secretary shall approve an application under this
section based on the quality of the application and the recommendations of a
peer review panel, as described in paragraph (2).
(2)The peer review panel shall include not less than—
(A)3 individuals who
are experts in the field of home visitation;
(B)2 individuals who
are experts in early childhood development;
(C)1 individual with
experience implementing a statewide program of early childhood home visitation;
and
(D)1 individual who
is a board certified pediatrician.
(e)Grants made under this section shall be for a period of no
more than 3 years.
(f)Each State that receives a grant under this section
shall—
(1)provide to as
many eligible families in the State as practicable, voluntary early childhood
home visitation, on not less frequently than a monthly basis with greater
frequency of services for those eligible families identified with additional
needs, through the implementation of Parents as Teachers programs, or other
quality programs of early childhood home visitation that are research-based,
that provide parents with—
(A)knowledge of age
appropriate child development in cognitive, language, social-emotional, and
motor domains;
(B)knowledge of
realistic expectations of age-appropriate child behaviors;
(C)knowledge of
health and wellness issues for children and parents;
(D)modeling,
consulting, and coaching on parenting practices;
(E)skills to
interact with their child to enhance age-appropriate development;
(F)skills to
recognize and seek help for health issues and developmental delays; and
(G)activities
designed to help parents become full partners in the education of their
children;
(2)offer annual
health, vision, hearing, and developmental screening for children from birth
until entry into kindergarten;
(3)provide referrals
for eligible families, as needed, to additional resources available in the
community, such as center-based early education programs, child care services,
health or mental health services, family literacy programs, employment
agencies, social services, and child care resource and referral
agencies;
(4)offer group
meetings, on not less frequently than a monthly basis, for eligible families
that—
(A)further enhance
the information, activities, and skill-building addressed during home
visitation; and
(B)offer
opportunities for parents to meet with and support each other;
(5)reserve 10
percent of the grant funds to provide training and technical assistance,
directly or through contract, to early childhood home visitation and early
childhood care and education staff relating to—
(A)effective methods
of conducting parent education, home visiting, and promoting quality early
childhood development;
(B)the relationship
of health and well-being of pregnant women to prenatal and early childhood
development;
(C)early childhood
development with respect to children from birth until entry into
kindergarten;
(D)methods to help
parents promote emergent literacy in their children from birth until entry into
kindergarten;
(E)health, vision,
hearing, and developmental screenings;
(F)strategies for
helping eligible families with special needs or those eligible families coping
with crisis;
(G)recruiting,
supervising, and retaining qualified staff;
(H)increasing
services for underserved populations;
(I)methods to help
parents effectively respond to their children’s needs and behaviors; and
(J)implementation of
ongoing program quality improvement and evaluation of activities and
outcomes;
(6)ensure
coordination of programs of early childhood home visitation, early childhood
education and care, and early intervention, through an existing or created
State-level early childhood coordinating body that includes—
(A)representatives
from relevant State agencies;
(B)representatives
from State Head Start Associations;
(C)the State
official with responsibility for carrying out activities under part C of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.);
(D)the State
official with responsibility for carrying out activities under section 619 of
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419);
(E)representatives
from child care resource and referral State offices;
(F)representatives
from Parents as Teachers State affiliate offices;
(G)representatives
from other quality programs of early childhood home visitation; and
(H)a board certified
pediatrician; and
(7)not expend more
than 10 percent of the amount of grant funds received under this section for
the administration of the grant, including planning, administration,
evaluation, and annual reporting.
(g)A State is entitled to receive its full allotment of funds
under this section for any fiscal year if the Secretary finds that the
aggregate expenditures within the State for Parents as Teachers programs, or
other quality programs of early childhood home visitation, for the fiscal year
preceding the fiscal year for which the determination is made was not less than
100 percent of such aggregate expenditures for the second fiscal year preceding
the fiscal year for which the determination is made.
(h)Each State that receives a grant under this section
shall submit an annual report to the Secretary regarding the State’s progress
in addressing the purposes of this Act. Such report shall include, at a
minimum, a description of—
(1)the types of
activities funded under the grant;
(2)the children and
eligible families served by the programs funded under the grant;
(3)the
research-based instruction, materials, and activities being used in the
activities funded under the grant;
(4)the effectiveness
of the training and ongoing professional development provided—
(A)to staff
supported under the grant; and
(B)to the broader
early childhood community; and
(5)beginning at the
end of the second year of the grant, the results of evaluations described in
subsection (c)(4)(G).
6.Strengthening
Early Head Start home visitationSection 645A of the
Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840a)
is amended—
(1)in subsection
(b)—
(A)in paragraph (4),
by striking provide services to parents to support their role as
parents
and inserting provide additional services to parents to
support their role as parents (including parenting skills training and training
in basic child development)
;
(B)in paragraph
(5)—
(i)by
inserting (including home-based services)
after with
services
; and
(ii)by
inserting , and family support services
after health
services
;
(C)by redesignating
paragraphs (7), (8), and (9) as paragraphs (9), (10), and (11), respectively;
and
(D)by inserting
after paragraph (6) the following:
(7)develop and
implement a systematic procedure for transitioning children and parents from an
Early Head Start program into a Head Start program or another local early
childhood education program;
(8)establish
channels of communication between staff of Early Head Start programs and staff
of Head Start programs or other local early childhood education programs, to
facilitate the coordination of programs;
;
(2)in subsection
(g)(2)(B), by striking clause (iv) and inserting the following:
(iv)providing
professional development and personnel enhancement activities, including the
provision of funds to recipients of grants under subsection (a), relating to
effective methods of conducting parent education, home visiting, and promoting
quality early childhood development.
;
and
(3)by adding at the
end the following:
(h)Staff
qualifications and development
(1)
(A)In
order to further enhance the quality of home visiting services provided to
families of children participating in home-based, center-based, or combination
program options under this subchapter, the Secretary shall establish standards
for training, qualifications, and the conduct of home visits for home visitor
staff in Early Head Start programs.
(B)The
standards for training, qualifications, and the conduct of home visits shall
include content related to—
(i)structured
child-focused home visiting that promotes parents’ ability to support the
child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development;
(ii)effective
strengths-based parent education, including methods to encourage parents as
their child’s first teachers;
(iii)early childhood
development with respect to children from birth through age 3;
(iv)methods to help
parents promote emergent literacy in their children from birth through age
3;
(v)health, vision,
hearing, and developmental screenings;
(vi)strategies for
helping families coping with crisis; and
(vii)the
relationship of health and well-being of pregnant women to prenatal and early
child development.
.
7.Targeted grants
for early childhood home visitation for families with English language
learners
(a)The Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of
Education, shall make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible applicants to
enable such applicants to support and expand local efforts to deliver services
under the Parents as Teachers programs, or other quality programs of early
childhood home visitation, to eligible families with English language
learners.
(b)In this section, the term eligible
applicant means—
(1)1 or more local
educational agencies (as defined in
section
9101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)); and
(2)1 or more public
or private community-based organizations or agencies that serve eligible
families and are capable of establishing and implementing programs of early
childhood home visitation.
(c)An
eligible applicant that desires to receive a grant under this section shall
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require. The application shall
include a description of—
(1)the results of a
communitywide needs assessment that describes—
(A)community
demographics demonstrating the need for outreach and services to eligible
families with English language learners;
(B)the quality,
capacity, and existing programs of early childhood home visitation for eligible
families with English language learners;
(C)the gaps in
programs of early childhood home visitation for eligible families with English
language learners; and
(D)the type of
program of early childhood home visitation necessary to address the gaps
identified;
(2)the program of
early childhood home visitation that will be supported by the grant under this
section;
(3)how the proposed
program of early childhood home visitation will promote positive parenting
skills and children’s early learning and development;
(4)how the proposed
program of early childhood home visitation will incorporate the authorized
activities described in subsection (f);
(5)how services
provided through a grant under this section will use materials that are geared
toward eligible families with English language learners;
(6)how the
activities under this section will be coordinated with existing programs of
early childhood home visitation, if such programs exist in the community, in an
effort to promote an array of home visitation that ensures more eligible
families with English language learners are being served and are getting the
most appropriate services to meet their needs;
(7)how the program
will ensure that—
(A)eligible families
with English language learners are linked to schools; and
(B)the activities
under this section will support the preparation of children for school;
(8)how channels of
communication will be established between staff of programs of early childhood
home visitation and staff of other early childhood education programs, such as
Head Start programs carried out under the Head
Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) and Early
Head Start programs carried out under section 645A of such Act, preschool
programs, and child care programs, to facilitate the coordination of services
for eligible families with English language learners;
(9)how eligible
families with English language learners will be recruited and retained to
receive services under this section;
(10)how training and
technical assistance will help the staff of programs of early childhood home
visitation involved in activities under this section to more effectively serve
eligible families with English language learners;
(11)how the eligible
applicant will evaluate the activities supported under this section in order to
demonstrate outcomes related to the—
(A)increase in
number of eligible families with English language learners served by programs
of early childhood home visitation;
(B)enhancement of
participating parents’ knowledge of early learning and development;
(C)enhancement of
positive parenting practices related to early learning and development;
and
(D)enhancement of
children’s cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical development;
and
(12)such other
information as the Secretary may require.
(d)
(1)The Secretary shall select applicants for funding under
this section based on the quality of the applications and the recommendations
of a peer review panel, as described in paragraph (2).
(2)The peer review panel shall include not less than—
(A)2 individuals who
are experts in the field of home visitation;
(B)2 individuals who
are experts in early childhood development;
(C)2 individuals who
are experts in serving eligible families with English language learners;
and
(D)1 individual who
is a board certified pediatrician.
(e)Grants made under this section shall be for a period of no
more than 3 years.
(f)Each eligible applicant that receives a grant under
this section shall carry out the following activities:
(1)Providing to as
many eligible families with English language learners as practicable, voluntary
early childhood home visitation, on not less frequently than a monthly basis,
through the implementation of Parents as Teachers programs, or other quality
programs of early childhood home visitation that are research-based, that
provide parents with—
(A)knowledge of age
appropriate child development in cognitive, language, social-emotional, and
motor domains;
(B)knowledge of
realistic expectations of age-appropriate child behaviors;
(C)knowledge of
health and wellness issues for children and parents;
(D)modeling,
consulting, and coaching on parenting practices;
(E)skills to
interact with their child to enhance age-appropriate development;
(F)skills to
recognize and seek help for health issues and developmental delays; and
(G)activities
designed to help parents become full partners in the education of their
children.
(2)Conducting annual
health, vision, hearing, and developmental screening for participating children
who are English language learners.
(3)Providing
referrals for participating eligible families with English language learners,
as needed, to additional resources available in the community, such as
center-based early education programs, child care services, health or mental
health services, family literacy programs, employment agencies, social
services, and child care resource and referral agencies.
(4)Offering group
meetings, on not less frequently than a monthly basis, for eligible families
with English language learners that—
(A)further enhance
the information, activities, and skill-building addressed during home
visitation;
(B)offer
opportunities for parents to meet with and support each other; and
(C)address
challenges facing eligible families with English language learners.
(5)Providing
training and technical assistance to early childhood home visitation and early
childhood care and education staff relating to—
(A)effective service
to eligible families with English language learners;
(B)effective methods
of conducting parent education, home visiting, and promoting quality early
childhood development;
(C)the relationship
of health and well-being of pregnant women to prenatal and early child
development;
(D)early childhood
development with respect to children from birth until entry into
kindergarten;
(E)methods to help
parents promote emergent literacy in their children from birth until entry into
kindergarten;
(F)implementing
strategies for helping eligible families with English language learners coping
with a crisis;
(G)recruiting,
supervising, and retaining qualified staff;
(H)increasing
services for underserved eligible families with English language
learners;
(I)methods to help
parents effectively respond to their children’s needs and behaviors; and
(J)implementation of
ongoing program quality improvement and evaluation of activities and
outcomes.
(6)Coordinating
existing programs of early childhood home visitation in order to effectively
and efficiently meet the needs of more eligible families with English language
learners.
(g)Grant funds provided under this section shall be used to
supplement, and not supplant, Federal and non-Federal funds available for
carrying out the activities described in this section.
(h)Authorization
of appropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this section $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2006 through
2008.
8.Targeted grants
for early childhood home visitation for military families
(a)The Secretary of Defense, in collaboration with the
Secretary of Education, shall make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible
applicants to enable such applicants to support and expand efforts to deliver
services under the Parents as Teachers programs, or other quality programs of
early childhood home visitation, to eligible families with a family member in
the Armed Forces.
(b)In this section, the term eligible
applicant means any of the following:
(1)A local
educational agency that receives payments under title VIII of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20
U.S.C. 7701 et seq.).
(2)A school of the
defense dependents’ education system under the Defense Dependents’ Education
Act of 1978 (20
U.S.C. 921 et seq.).
(3)A school
established under section 2164 of title 10, United States Code.
(4)A community-based
organization serving families with a family member in the Armed Forces.
(c)An
eligible applicant that desires to receive a grant under this section shall
submit an application to the Secretary of Defense at such time, in such manner,
and containing such information as the Secretary of Defense may require. The
application shall include a description of—
(1)the results of a
communitywide needs assessment that describes—
(A)community
demographics demonstrating the need for outreach and services to eligible
families with a family member in the Armed Forces;
(B)the quality,
capacity, and existing programs of early childhood home visitation for eligible
families with a family member in the Armed Forces;
(C)the gaps in
programs of early childhood home visitation for eligible families with a family
member in the Armed Forces; and
(D)the type of
program of early childhood home visitation necessary to address the gaps
identified;
(2)the program of
early childhood home visitation that will be supported by the grant under this
section;
(3)how the proposed
program of early childhood home visitation will promote positive parenting
skills and children’s early learning and development;
(4)how the proposed
program of early childhood home visitation will incorporate the authorized
activities described in subsection (f);
(5)how services
provided through a grant under this section will use materials that are geared
toward eligible families with a family member in the Armed Forces;
(6)how the
activities under this section will be coordinated with existing programs of
early childhood home visitation, if such programs exist in the community, in an
effort to promote an array of home visitation that ensures more eligible
families with a family member in the Armed Forces are being served and are
getting the most appropriate services to meet their needs;
(7)how the program
will ensure that—
(A)eligible families
with a family member in the Armed Forces are linked to schools; and
(B)the activities
under this section will support the preparation of children for school;
(8)how channels of
communication will be established between staff of programs of early childhood
home visitation and staff of other early childhood education programs,
preschool programs, family support programs, and child care programs, to
facilitate the coordination of services for eligible families with a family
member in the Armed Forces;
(9)how eligible
families with a family member in the Armed Forces will be recruited and
retained to receive services under this section;
(10)how training and
technical assistance will help staff of programs of early childhood home
visitation involved in activities under this section to more effectively serve
eligible families with a family member in the Armed Forces;
(11)how the eligible
applicant will evaluate the activities supported under this section in order to
demonstrate outcomes related to the—
(A)increase in
number of eligible families with a family member in the Armed Forces served by
programs of early childhood home visitation;
(B)enhancement of
participating parents’ knowledge of early learning and development;
(C)enhancement of
positive parenting practices related to early learning and development;
and
(D)enhancement of
children’s cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical development;
and
(12)such other
information as the Secretary of Defense may require.
(d)Approval of
local applications
(1)The Secretary of Defense shall select applicants for
funding under this section based on the quality of the applications and the
recommendations of a peer review panel, as described in paragraph (2).
(2)The peer review panel shall include not less than—
(A)2 individuals who
are experts in the field of home visitation;
(B)2 individuals who
are experts in early childhood development;
(C)2 individuals who
are experts in family support for military families; and
(D)1 individual who
is a board certified pediatrician.
(e)Grants made under this section shall be for a period of no
more than 3 years.
(f)Each eligible applicant that receives a grant under
this section shall carry out the following activities:
(1)Providing to as
many eligible families with a family member in the Armed Forces as practicable,
voluntary early childhood home visitation, on not less frequently than a
monthly basis, through the implementation of Parents as Teachers programs, or
other quality programs of early childhood home visitation that are
research-based, that provide parents with—
(A)knowledge of age
appropriate child development in cognitive, language, social-emotional, and
motor domains;
(B)knowledge of
realistic expectations of age-appropriate child behaviors;
(C)knowledge of
health and wellness issues for children and parents;
(D)modeling,
consulting, and coaching on parenting practices;
(E)skills to
interact with their child to enhance age-appropriate development;
(F)skills to
recognize and seek help for health issues and developmental delays; and
(G)activities
designed to help parents become full partners in the education of their
children.
(2)Conducting annual
health, vision, hearing, and developmental screening for participating
children.
(3)Providing
referrals for participating eligible families with a family member in the Armed
Forces, as needed, to additional resources available in the community, such as
center-based early education programs, child care services, health or mental
health services, family literacy programs, employment agencies, social
services, and child care resource and referral agencies.
(4)Offering group
meetings, on not less frequently than a monthly basis, for eligible families
with a family member in the Armed Forces that—
(A)further enhance
the information, activities, and skill-building addressed during home
visitation;
(B)offer
opportunities for parents to meet with and support each other; and
(C)address
challenges facing eligible families with a family member in the Armed
Forces.
(5)Providing
training and technical assistance to early childhood home visitation and early
childhood care and education staff relating to—
(A)effective service
to eligible families with a family member in the Armed Forces;
(B)effective methods
of conducting parent education, home visiting, and promoting quality early
childhood development;
(C)the relationship
of health and well-being of pregnant women to prenatal and early child
development;
(D)early childhood
development with respect to children from birth until entry into
kindergarten;
(E)methods to help
parents promote emergent literacy in their children from birth until entry into
kindergarten;
(F)implementing
strategies for helping eligible families with a family member in the Armed
Forces coping with crisis;
(G)recruiting,
supervising, and retaining qualified staff;
(H)increasing
services for underserved eligible families with a family member in the Armed
Forces;
(I)methods to help
parents effectively respond to their children’s needs and behaviors; and
(J)implementation of
ongoing program quality improvement and evaluation of activities and
outcomes.
(6)Coordinating
existing programs of early childhood home visitation in order to effectively
and efficiently meet the needs of more eligible families with a family member
in the Armed Forces.
(g)Grant funds provided under this section shall be used to
supplement, and not supplant, Federal and non-Federal funds available for
carrying out the activities described in this section.
(h)Authorization
of appropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this section $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2006 through
2008.
9.
(a)From funds reserved under section 5(b)(1)(A), the
Secretary shall conduct an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of this
Act.
(b)
(1)Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall submit an interim report on the evaluation conducted
pursuant to subsection (a) to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the
House of Representatives.
(2)Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall submit a final report on the evaluation conducted
pursuant to subsection (a) to the committees described in paragraph (1).
(c)The
reports submitted under subsection (b) shall include information on the
following:
(1)How the grant
funds have expanded access to early childhood home visitation.
(2)How the States
are—
(A)enhancing
parents’ knowledge of early learning and development;
(B)enhancing
positive parenting practices related to early learning and development;
and
(C)enhancing
children’s cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical
development.
(3)The effectiveness
of early childhood home visitation on different populations, including families
with English language learners and families with a family member in the Armed
Forces.
(4)The effectiveness
of the training and technical assistance activities funded under this
Act.
(5)Recommendations
on strengthening or modifying this Act.