[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2343 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2343

  To expand quality programs of early childhood home visitation that 
  increase school readiness, child abuse and neglect prevention, and 
  early identification of developmental and health delays, including 
       potential mental health concerns, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 16, 2007

   Mr. Davis of Illinois (for himself and Mr. Platts) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To expand quality programs of early childhood home visitation that 
  increase school readiness, child abuse and neglect prevention, and 
  early identification of developmental and health delays, including 
       potential mental health concerns, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Education Begins at Home Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--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.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
            (1) To enable States, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, 
        territories, or possessions to deliver quality programs of 
        early childhood home visitation to pregnant women and parents 
        of children from birth until entry into kindergarten in order 
        to promote positive outcomes for children and families 
        including: readiness for school, improved child health and 
        development, positive parenting practices, reductions in child 
        maltreatment, and enhanced parenting abilities 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 quality programs of early childhood home 
        visitation so as to more effectively reach and serve families 
        with English language learners.
            (4) To expand quality programs of early childhood home 
        visitation so as to more effectively reach and serve families 
        serving in the military.
            (5) To establish a public education and awareness campaign 
        concerning the importance of the proper care of infants and 
        young children.
            (6) To make available for parents of newborn children 
        parenting classes that convey information about the importance 
        of proper care for newborns, including information about 
        symptoms of abusive head and other injuries.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Eligible family.--The term ``eligible family'' means--
                    (A) a woman who is pregnant and the father of the 
                child if the father is available; or
                    (B) a parent or primary caregiver of a child, 
                including grandparents or other relatives of the child, 
                and foster parents, who are serving as the primary 
                caregiver from birth until entry into kindergarten, 
                including a noncustodial parent who has an on-going 
                relationship with and, at times, provides physical care 
                for such child.
            (2) Home visitation.--The term ``home visitation'' means 
        services provided in the permanent or temporary residence, or 
        in a mutually agreed upon location in the community, of the 
        individual receiving such services.
            (3) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 4(e) of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
            (4) Secretary.--Except as provided in section 8, the term 
        ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
            (5) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States, 
        the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
            (6) Territories and possessions.--The term ``territories 
        and possessions'' shall include American Samoa, the 
        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the 
        United States Virgin Islands.
            (7) Tribal organization.--The term ``tribal organization'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 4(l) of the Indian 
        Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
        450b).

SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITATION.

    (a) Authorization.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Education, shall make grants to States, Indian tribes, 
tribal organizations, territories and possessions to enable States, 
Indian tribes, tribal organizations, territories and possessions to 
establish or expand quality programs of early childhood home visitation 
as specified under subsection (f). Each grant shall consist of the 
allotment determined under subsection (b).
    (b) Determination of Reservations; Amount of Allotments; 
Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) Reservations from appropriations.--From 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 8;
                    (B) not more than 3 percent for Federal 
                administrative costs;
                    (C) not more than 2 percent of the funds 
                appropriated for any fiscal year for payments to Indian 
                tribes or tribal organizations with an approved 
                application under this section;
                    (D) not more than \1/2\ of 1 percent of the funds 
                appropriated for any fiscal year for payments to 
                territories and possessions with an approved 
                application under this section; and
                    (E) 2 percent for training and technical assistance 
                for States.
            (2) State allotments for early childhood home visitation.--
                    (A) In general.--In accordance with subparagraph 
                (B), the Secretary shall allot among each of the 
                eligible 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.--The 
                Secretary shall allot the amount made available under 
                subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year among the eligible 
                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.
            (3) Payments to tribes and territories.--
                    (A) Out of the funds reserved under paragraph 
                (1)(A), the Secretary shall provide funds to each 
                Indian tribe or tribal organization with an approved 
                application under this section in accordance with the 
                respective needs described in that application.
                    (B) Out of the funds reserved under paragraph 
                (1)(B), the Secretary shall provide funds to each 
                territory or possession with an approved application 
                under this section in accordance with the respective 
                needs described in that application.
            (4) Applications of indian tribes, tribal organizations, 
        territories, or possessions.--
                    (A) Subject to subparagraph (B) the Secretary shall 
                approve an application of an Indian tribe, tribal 
                organization, territory, or possession based on the 
                quality of the application.
                    (B) The Secretary may exempt an application 
                submitted by an Indian tribe, tribal organization, 
                territory, or possession from any requirement of this 
                section that the secretary determines would be 
                inappropriate to apply taking into account the 
                resources, needs, and other circumstances of the indian 
                tribe, tribal organization territory, or possession 
                with the exception of the provision of quality early 
                childhood home visitation as outlined in section 
                (5)(f)(1), reporting requirements detailed in 
                paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 5(h), and 
                participation in the independent evaluation outlined in 
                section 9.
            (5) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this section $400,000,000 for 
        the period of fiscal years 2008 through 2010.
    (c) Grant Applications.--A State, Indian tribe, tribal 
organization, territory, or possession 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 reserve 3 percent of 
        such grant for evaluation and will 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 quality programs of early childhood 
                home visitation to serve all eligible families in the 
                State.
                    (B) A description of the 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 
                collaboration among a broad range of child-serving 
                programs, including--
                            (i) early childhood home visitation 
                        programs;
                            (ii) early childhood care and education 
                        programs;
                            (iii) early childhood intervention 
                        programs;
                            (iv) child abuse prevention and treatment 
                        programs;
                            (v) Medicaid and State Children's Health 
                        Insurance programs;
                            (vi) nutrition assistance programs;
                            (vii) substance abuse and mental health 
                        prevention and treatment programs;
                            (viii) domestic and family violence 
                        prevention programs;
                            (ix) child support enforcement programs;
                            (x) workforce development programs;
                            (xi) the State Temporary Assistance to 
                        Needy Families program; and
                            (xii) other child-serving programs in the 
                        State in order to facilitate the coordinated 
                        delivery 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, with sensitivity to cultural 
                variations in parenting norms and attitudes toward 
                formal support services.
                    (H) How the lead State agency will evaluate the 
                activities supported under this section in order to 
                assess outcomes related to the enhancement of--
                            (i) parent knowledge of early learning and 
                        development;
                            (ii) child health, cognitive, language, 
                        social-emotional, and physical development 
                        indicators;
                            (iii) child maltreatment indicators for 
                        child abuse and neglect prevention;
                            (iv) school readiness indicators; and
                            (v) links to community services.
                    (I) A description of how the lead State agency will 
                ensure that the home visitation programs will conduct 
                outreach activities to target both mothers and fathers, 
                and increase father involvement where appropriate.
                    (J) A description of how the lead State agency will 
                increase home visitation programs participation rates 
                for fathers.
                    (K) A description of how the lead State agency will 
                ensure that services are made available under the 
                program to grandparents, other relatives or foster 
                parents, of a child from birth through age 5 who serve 
                as the primary caregiver of the child.
                    (L) Such other information as the Secretary may 
                require.
    (d) Approval of Applications.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall approve an application 
        under this section based on the recommendations of a peer 
        review panel, as described in paragraph (2). The panel shall 
        recommend applicants to the Secretary based on the quality of 
        their applications. In addition to ensuring that the 
        application is complete, the panel shall consider the quality 
        of the needs assessment, described in subsection (c)(5); the 
        quality of the programs to be funded by the grant, described in 
        subsection (c)(6)(B) and the quality of the plan for 
        collaboration described in subsections (c)(6)(E) and (c)(6)(F). 
        In assessing the quality of the programs to be funded, the 
        panel shall give consideration to recommending some applicants 
        that will fund programs that incorporate comparison or control 
        groups in their service delivery model, recognizing that not 
        all quality programs will be able to do so but that having some 
        such programs would contribute to the evaluations required in 
        subsection (c)(6)(H) and section 9.
            (2) Peer review panel.--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 expertise implementing a 
                statewide program of early childhood home visitation;
                    (D) 1 individual who is a board certified 
                pediatrician or a developmental pediatrician; and
                    (E) 1 individual with experience in administering 
                public or private (including community-based) child 
                maltreatment prevention programs.
    (e) Duration of Grants.--Grants made under this section shall be 
for a period of no more than 3 years.
    (f) State Uses of Funds.--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 quality programs of early 
        childhood home visitation that--
                    (A) adopts a clear, consistent model that is 
                grounded in empirically-based knowledge related to home 
                visiting and linked to program-determined outcomes;
                    (B) employs well-trained and competent staff, as 
                demonstrated by education or training, and the 
                provision of ongoing and specific training on the model 
                being delivered;
                    (C) maintains high quality supervision to establish 
                home visitor competencies;
                    (D) shows strong organizational capacity to 
                implement the program involved;
                    (E) establishes appropriate linkages and referral 
                networks to other community resources and supports;
                    (F) monitors fidelity of program implementation to 
                assure that services are delivered according to the 
                specified model;
                    (G) establishes procedures to ensure participation 
                of fathers, where safe and appropriate;
                    (H) are research-based, that provides parents 
                with--
                            (i) knowledge of age appropriate child 
                        development in cognitive, language, social-
                        emotional, and motor domains;
                            (ii) knowledge of realistic expectations of 
                        age-appropriate child behaviors;
                            (iii) knowledge of health and wellness 
                        issues for children and parents;
                            (iv) modeling, consulting, and coaching on 
                        parenting practices;
                            (v) skills to interact with their child to 
                        enhance age-appropriate development;
                            (vi) skills to recognize and seek help for 
                        issues related to health, developmental delays, 
                        and social, emotional, and behavioral skills;
                            (vii) activities designed to help parents 
                        become full partners in the education of their 
                        children; and
                            (viii) relevant information, consistent 
                        with State child welfare agency training, 
                        concerning child welfare and protective 
                        services resources if appropriate;
                    (I) ascertains what health and developmental 
                services the family receives and work with these 
                providers to eliminate gaps in service by offering 
                annual health, vision, hearing, and developmental 
                screening for children from birth to entry into 
                kindergarten, when not otherwise provided;
                    (J) provides 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, fatherhood programs, and 
                child care resource and referral agencies; and
                    (K) offers group meetings (at program discretion) 
                for eligible families that--
                            (i) further enhance the information, 
                        activities, and skill-building addressed during 
                        home visitation; and
                            (ii) offer opportunities for parents to 
                        meet with and support each other.
            (2) 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 implementing parent 
                education, conducting 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;
                    (J) implementation of ongoing program quality 
                improvement and evaluation of activities and outcomes;
                    (K) relevant issues related to child welfare and 
                protective services, with information provided being 
                consistent with state child welfare agency training;
                    (L) effective methods of successfully engaging 
                fathers in programs for parents; and
                    (M) the relationship of father involvement to the 
                health and well-being of pregnant women and to prenatal 
                and early childhood development;
            (3) ensure collaboration among child-serving programs 
        through an existing or created State-level early childhood 
        coordinating body that meets regularly to address policy and 
        implementation issues that will improve the coordination of a 
        range of services for children and families, especially those 
        receiving home visitation services, and such coordinating body 
        shall include--
                    (A) representatives from quality programs of early 
                childhood home visitation;
                    (B) representatives from early childhood education 
                and care programs, including the state agency 
                responsible for administering the Child Care and 
                Development Block Grant, the State Head Start 
                collaboration director, the State child care resource 
                and referral office, and representatives from State 
                Head Start Associations;
                    (C) representatives of early intervention programs, 
                such as the State official responsible for carrying out 
                activities under part C of the Individuals with 
                Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) and 
                the State official responsible for carrying out 
                activities under section 619 of the Individuals with 
                Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419);
                    (D) representatives from child welfare programs, 
                including the State agency responsible for carrying out 
                the plan under section 106 of the Child Abuse 
                Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106 et seq.) 
                and the State agency responsible for administering 
                titles IV-B and IV-E of the Social Security Act;
                    (E) representatives from children's health 
                insurance programs, including the State agency 
                administering titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security 
                Act;
                    (F) representatives from nutrition programs, such 
                as Food Stamps (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), Special 
                Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and 
                Children (42 U.S.C. 1786) and the Child and Adult Care 
                Food Program (42 U.S.C. 1766 );
                    (G) representatives from substance abuse and mental 
                health prevention and treatment programs, including the 
                State agency responsible for administering the 
                Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant 
                (42 U.S.C. 300x-21 et seq.) and the State agency 
                responsible for administering the Mental Health 
                Services Block Grant (42 U.S.C. 300x-1 et seq.);
                    (H) representatives from domestic and family 
                violence prevention programs;
                    (I) representatives from the State child support 
                enforcement program responsible for administering title 
                IV-D of the Social Security Act;
                    (J) representatives from workforce development 
                programs, including the State-level and local Workforce 
                Investment Boards (20 U.S.C. 9201 et seq.);
                    (K) representatives from the State Temporary 
                Assistance for Needy Families program administering 
                title IV-A of the Social Security Act;
                    (L) representatives of other child-serving 
                programs, including the State agency responsible for 
                administering title XX of the Social Security Act; and
                    (M) a board certified pediatrician or a 
                developmental pediatrician; and
            (4) not expend more than 5 percent of the amount of grant 
        funds received under this section for the administration of the 
        grant, including planning, administration, and annual 
        reporting.
    (g) Maintenance of Effort.--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 
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) Reporting Requirements.--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) actual service delivery provided under the grant 
        including--
                    (A) program characteristics including descriptive 
                information on the service model used and actual 
                program performance;
                    (B) provider characteristics including staff 
                qualifications, work experience, and demographic 
                characteristics; and
                    (C) recipient characteristics including number, 
                demographic characteristics, and family retention;
            (2) recipient outcomes that are consistent with program 
        goals including, where appropriate given the program being 
        evaluated--
                    (A) parent knowledge of early learning and 
                development;
                    (B) child health cognitive, language, social-
                emotional, and physical developmental indicators;
                    (C) child maltreatment indicators, for child abuse 
                and neglect prevention;
                    (D) school readiness indicators; and
                    (E) links to community services;
            (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;
            (5) beginning at the end of the second year of the grant, 
        the results of evaluations described in subsection (c)(6)(H); 
        and
            (6) the annual program implementation costs, including the 
        cost for each family served under the program.

SEC. 5. STRENGTHENING EARLY HEAD START HOME VISITATION.

    Section 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 training in 
                parenting skills, basic child development, and 
                sensitivity to cultural variations in parenting norms 
                and attitudes toward formal supports)'';
                    (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 implementing parent education, 
                        conducting home visiting, and promoting quality 
                        early childhood development.''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Staff Qualifications and Development.--
            ``(1) Home visitor staff.--
                    ``(A) Standards.--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) Contents.--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) ascertaining what health and 
                        developmental services the family receives and 
                        working with these providers to eliminate gaps 
                        in service by offering annual health, vision, 
                        hearing, and developmental screening for 
                        children from birth to entry into kindergarten, 
                        when needed;
                            ``(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.''.

SEC. 6. TARGETED GRANTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITATION FOR 
              FAMILIES WITH ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation 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 quality programs of early childhood 
home visitation to eligible families with English language learners.
    (b) Eligible Applicant.--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) Applications.--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 and capacity of existing programs 
                of early childhood home visitation for eligible 
                families with English language learners in the 
                community;
                    (C) the gaps in programs of early childhood home 
                visitation for eligible families with English language 
                learners in the community; 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 build on and 
        promote coordination among 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' parental 
                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;
            (12) how the proposed program will conduct outreach 
        activities to target both mothers and fathers and increase 
        father involvement where safe and appropriate; and
            (13) such other information as the Secretary may require.
    (d) Approval of Applications.--
            (1) In general.--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) Peer review panel.--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;
                    (D) 1 individual who is a board certified 
                pediatrician or a developmental pediatrician; and
                    (E) 1 individual with expertise in administering 
                public or private (including community-based) child 
                maltreatment prevention programs.
    (e) Duration of Grants.--Grants made under this section shall be 
for a period of no more than 3 years.
    (f) Authorized Activities.--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 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 issues 
                related to health, developmental delays, and social, 
                emotional, and behavioral skills; and
                    (G) activities designed to help parents become full 
                partners in the education of their children.
            (2) Ascertaining what health and developmental services the 
        family receives and working with these providers to eliminate 
        gaps in service by offering annual health, vision, hearing, and 
        developmental screening for children from birth to entry into 
        kindergarten, when not otherwise provided.
            (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 (at program discretion), 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, including skills to address 
                challenges facing English language learners;
                    (B) effective methods of implementing parent 
                education, conducting home visiting, and promoting 
                quality early childhood development, with sensitivity 
                to cultural variations in parenting norms and attitudes 
                toward formal support services;
                    (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;
                    (J) implementation of ongoing program quality 
                improvement and evaluation of activities and outcomes; 
                and
                    (K) the relationship of father involvement to the 
                health and well-being of pregnant women and to prenatal 
                and early childhood development.
            (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) Reporting Requirements.--Each applicant that receives a grant 
under this section to carry out a program shall submit an annual report 
to the Secretary regarding the progress of such program in addressing 
the purposes of this Act. Such report shall include, at a minimum, a 
description of--
            (1) actual service delivery provided under the grant 
        including--
                    (A) program characteristics including descriptive 
                information on the service model used and actual 
                program performance;
                    (B) provider characteristics including staff 
                qualifications, work experience, and demographic 
                characteristics;
                    (C) recipient characteristics including number, 
                demographic characteristics, and family retention; and
                    (D) an estimate of annual program implementation 
                costs;
            (2) recipient outcomes that are consistent with program 
        goals including, where appropriate given the program being 
        evaluated--
                    (A) parental practices;
                    (B) child health and development indicators;
                    (C) child maltreatment indicators;
                    (D) school readiness indicators; and
                    (E) links to community services;
            (3) the research-based instruction, materials, and 
        activities being used in the activities funded under the grant; 
        and
            (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.
    (h) Supplement Not Supplant.--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.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2008 through 2010.

SEC. 7. TARGETED GRANTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITATION FOR 
              MILITARY FAMILIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
shall make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible applicants to 
enable such applicants to support and expand efforts to deliver 
services under quality programs of early childhood home visitation to 
eligible families with a family member in the Armed Forces.
    (b) Eligible Applicant.--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) Applications.--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 and capacity of 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 build on and 
        promote coordination 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, 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, 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;
            (12) how the proposed program will conduct outreach 
        activities to target both mothers and fathers and increase 
        father involvement where safe and appropriate; and
            (13) such other information as the Secretary of Defense may 
        require.
    (d) Approval of Local Applications.--
            (1) In general.--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) Peer review panel.--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;
                    (D) 1 individual who is a board certified 
                pediatrician or developmental pediatrician; and
                    (E) 1 individual with expertise in administering 
                public or private (including community-based) child 
                maltreatment prevention programs.
    (e) Duration of Grants.--Grants made under this section shall be 
for a period of no more than 3 years.
    (f) Authorized Activities.--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 quality programs 
        of early childhood home visitation that are research-based and 
        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 issues 
                related to health, developmental delays, and social, 
                emotional, and behavioral skills; and
                    (G) activities designed to help parents become full 
                partners in the education of their children.
            (2) Ascertaining what health and developmental services the 
        family receives and working with these providers to eliminate 
        gaps in service by offering annual health, vision, hearing, and 
        developmental screening for children from birth to entry into 
        kindergarten, when not otherwise provided.
            (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 (at program discretion), 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 implementing parent 
                education, conducting home visiting, and promoting 
                quality early childhood development, with sensitivity 
                to cultural variations in parenting norms and attitudes 
                toward formal support services;
                    (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;
                    (J) implementation of ongoing program quality 
                improvement and evaluation of activities and outcomes; 
                and
                    (K) the relationship of father involvement to the 
                health and well-being of pregnant women and to prenatal 
                and early childhood development.
            (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) Reporting Requirements.--Each applicant that receives a grant 
under this section to carry out a program shall submit an annual report 
to the Secretary regarding the progress of such program in addressing 
the purposes of this Act. Such report shall include, at a minimum, a 
description of--
            (1) actual service delivery provided under the grant 
        including--
                    (A) program characteristics including descriptive 
                information on the service model used and actual 
                program performance;
                    (B) provider characteristics including staff 
                qualifications, work experience, and demographic 
                characteristics;
                    (C) recipient characteristics including number, 
                demographic characteristics, and family retention; and
                    (D) an estimate of annual program implementation 
                costs;
            (2) recipient outcomes that are consistent with program 
        goals including, where appropriate given the program being 
        evaluated--
                    (A) parental practices;
                    (B) child health and development indicators;
                    (C) child maltreatment indicators;
                    (D) school readiness indicators; and
                    (E) links to community services;
            (3) the research-based instruction, materials, and 
        activities being used in the activities funded under the grant; 
        and
            (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.
    (h) Supplement Not Supplant.--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.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2008 through 2010.

SEC. 8. EVALUATION.

    (a) In General.--From funds reserved under section 5(b)(1)(A), the 
Secretary shall conduct an independent evaluation of the effectiveness 
of this Act.
    (b) Reports.--
            (1) Interim report.--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 Labor of the 
        House of Representatives.
            (2) Final report.--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) Contents.--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 including--
                    (A) demonstrating that programs funded reflect the 
                quality indicators outlined in section 5(f)(1); and
                    (B) documenting the service delivery indicators, as 
                outlined in section 5(h)(1), across all recipients 
                receiving grants with attention to the number of 
                families served and the level of service received.
            (2) How the States affect outcomes consistent with program 
        goals including, where appropriate given the program being 
        evaluated, parenting practices, child health and development, 
        child maltreatment, school readiness, and links to community 
        services.
            (3) The effectiveness of early childhood home visitation on 
        different populations, including the extent to which 
        variability exists in program ability to improve outcomes 
        across programs and populations, such as families with English 
        language learners and families with a family member in the 
        Armed Forces.
            (4) Descriptions of the technical assistance and training 
        actually provided and the nature of the populations receiving 
        this assistance.
            (5) The effectiveness of the training and technical 
        assistance activities funded under this Act, including the 
        effects of training and technical assistance activities on 
        program performance and agency-level collaboration.
            (6) Recommendations on strengthening or modifying this Act.

SEC. 9. SUPPORTING NEW PARENTS THROUGH HOSPITAL EDUCATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall develop and 
implement a public information and educational campaign to inform the 
public and new parents about the importance of proper care for infants 
and children under 5 years of age, including healthy parent-child 
relationships, the demands and stress associated with caring for 
infants, positive responses to infants' challenging behaviors including 
awareness of their social, emotional, and physical needs, awareness of 
the vulnerability of young children to abusive practices, and the signs 
and treatment of post-partum depression.
    (b) Elements.--
            (1) In general.--The campaign developed under subsection 
        (a) shall include the following elements:
                    (A) The dissemination of educational and 
                informational materials in print, audio, video, 
                electronic, and other media.
                    (B) The use of public service announcements and 
                advertisements.
                    (C) The dissemination of effective child abuse 
                prevention practices and techniques, including 
                information about research-based home visiting 
                programs, respite care, crisis nurseries, and parent 
                support networks, to parents, caregivers, maternity 
                hospitals, children's hospitals, pediatricians, child 
                care centers, organizations providing prenatal and 
                postnatal care, and organizations providing parenting 
                education and support services.
                    (D) Connection to existing parental involvement 
                programs.
            (2) Prevention practices.--In carrying out paragraph (1)(C) 
        through the campaign under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
        ensure that every hospital, military hospital, and birth center 
        receiving these materials requests that each maternity patient 
        and father of a newborn child, if available, participate in a 
        single session parenting class, that is approved by the 
        Secretary, on the vulnerabilities of their infant to abusive 
        practices, as well as the importance of proper care for infants 
        and young children, and the symptoms of abusive head and other 
        injuries, and strategies for caring for infants' social, 
        emotional, and physical needs. After participating in the 
        class, the hospital or birth center shall request that such 
        patient or father sign a form stating that they have 
        participated or refused to participate in the parenting class.
            (3) Existing programs.--The implementation and execution of 
        the public information and educational campaign under this 
        section should seek collaboration with and referrals to 
        existing parental involvement programs that specialize in 
        strengthening children's cognitive skills, early literacy 
        skills, social or emotional and physical development and 
        existing prenatal and early childhood home visitation programs.
            (4) Existing state requirements.--The implementation and 
        execution of the public information and educational campaign 
        under this section should encourage the Secretary to work with 
        pre-existing State requirements to ensure that no unnecessary 
        burdens are placed on hospitals, military hospitals, and birth 
        centers receiving educational materials.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section 
for fiscal years 2008 through 2010.
                                 <all>