110 HR 2343 RH: Education Begins at Home Act of
U.S. House of Representatives
2008-09-19
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.This Act may be cited as the
Education Begins at Home Act of
2008
.
2.
(a)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)parent education and
family support 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 communities 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)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 expand quality
programs of early childhood home visitation so as to more effectively reach and
serve families with English language learners.
(3)To expand quality
programs of early childhood home visitation so as to more effectively reach and
serve families serving in the military.
(4)To establish a public
education and awareness campaign concerning the importance of the proper care
of infants and young children.
3.In this Act:
(1)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
under the age of entry into kindergarten, including grandparents or other
relatives of the child, and foster parents (including kinship caregivers), who
are serving as the primary caregiver, including a noncustodial parent who has
an on-going relationship with and, at times, provides physical care for such
child.
(2)The term English language learner
, used
with respect to an individual, means an individual—
(A)who—
(i)was not born in the
United States or whose native language is a language other than English;
(ii)(I)is a Native American (as
defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 7801)), an Alaska Native, or a native resident of an outlying area
(as defined in such section 9101); and
(II)comes from an
environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on
the individual’s level of English language proficiency; or
(iii)is migratory, whose
native language is a language other than English, and who comes from an
environment where a language other than English is dominant; and
(B)whose difficulties in
speaking or understanding the English language may be sufficient to deny such
individual—
(i)the ability to
successfully achieve in a classroom in which the language of instruction is
English; or
(ii)the opportunity to
participate fully in society.
(3)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.
(4)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).
(5)Except
as provided in section 6, the term Secretary means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
(6)The
term State means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia,
and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(7)Territories and
possessionsThe term territories and possessions
shall include American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands.
(8)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).
4.Grants for early
childhood home visitation
(a)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 (e). Each grant shall consist of the allotment determined 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 7;
(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 ½ 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 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 support early childhood home visitation programs in accordance with
this section.
(B)Determination of state
allotmentsThe 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 through 5 years from
families whose income is below the poverty line, 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)(C), 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)(D), 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 and participation in the independent evaluation outlined in section
7.
(5)Authorization of
appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this section $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and such sums as may be
necessary for fiscal years 2010 through 2013.
(c)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. For the purposes of
this subsection, the term State
includes Indian tribes, tribal
organizations, territories, or possessions. 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 7.
(3)An assurance that the
State will reserve 10 percent of the grant funds for training and technical
assistance to 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)An assurance that in
supporting early childhood home visitation programs under this section the
State shall identify and prioritize serving communities that are in high need
of such services, such as communities with—
(A)low student
achievement;
(B)high rates of teen
pregnancy;
(C)high proportions of low
income families;
(D)high incidences of child
abuse;
(E)high rates of children
with developmental delays or disabilities;
(F)large concentrations of
individuals who are English language learners;
(G)large concentrations of
individuals currently serving in the Armed Forces; and
(H)large concentrations of
individuals who formerly served in the Armed Forces.
(6)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, including identification of communities
that are in high need of such services.
(7)A State plan containing
the following:
(A)A description of the
State’s plan to prioritize establishing or expanding high quality programs of
early childhood home visitation programs in communities that are in high need
of such programs.
(B)A description of the high
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 (e).
(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
programs to ensure 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- and family-serving programs,
including—
(i)early childhood home visitation programs,
including targeted grants awarded under sections 5 and 6;
(ii)early childhood care and
education programs;
(iii)activities carried out
under part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1431
et seq.) and section 619 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20
U.S.C. 1419);
(iv)child abuse prevention
and treatment programs, and State and local child protection systems;
(v)Medicaid and State
Children’s Health Insurance programs;
(vi)nutrition assistance
programs;
(vii)parental 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;
(xii)early childhood
intervention programs, such as mental health prevention and treatment
services;
(xiii)State and local
educational agencies; and
(xiv)other appropriate
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 for the training and technical assistance to 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 attitudes toward formal support services and parenting
norms.
(H)How the lead State agency
will evaluate the activities supported under this section in order to assess
outcomes including, but not limited to—
(i)parental outcomes related to child health
and development, including parent knowledge of early learning and
development;
(ii)child health, cognitive, language,
social-emotional, and physical development;
(iii)child maltreatment;
(iv)school readiness;
and
(v)links to community
services.
(I)A description of how the
lead State agency will ensure home visitation programs prioritize outreach
activities to target fathers and include fathers in the program where safe and
appropriate.
(J)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.
(K)Such other information as
the Secretary may require.
(d)
(1)The Secretary shall
approve an application under this section based on the recommendations of a
peer review panel, as described in paragraph (2).
(2)The peer review panel shall include individuals with
experience in varying models of home visitation, including not fewer
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.
(3)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—
(A)the quality of the
statewide needs assessment, described in subsection (c)(6);
(B)the quality of the
programs to be funded by the grant, described in subsection (c)(7)(B), and the
capacity of such programs to establish or expand high quality home visitation
services;
(C)the plan to enhance and
improve services in the State through collaboration described in subsections
(c)(7)(E) and (c)(7)(F);
(D)the State’s plan to
prioritize serving communities in high need of home visitation programs;
and
(E)the State’s plan for
delivering effective training and technical assistance.
(e)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 high quality programs of early childhood home
visitation that—
(A)adopt a clear, consistent
model that—
(i)is research-based;
(ii)is grounded in
empirically-based knowledge related to home visiting and child health or child
development;
(iii)is linked to
program-determined outcomes;
(iv)is associated with a
national organization or institution of higher education (as defined under
section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965), that has comprehensive home
visitation program standards, including standardized training and on-going
professional development, that ensure high quality service delivery and
continuous program quality improvement;
(v)has been evaluated, and
the results of the evaluation have been published in a peer-reviewed journal;
and
(vi)has been in existence at
least 3 consecutive years prior to the program being funded under this
Act;
(B)employ 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)maintain high quality
supervision that supports home visitor competencies;
(D)show strong
organizational capacity to implement the program involved;
(E)establish appropriate
linkages and referral networks to other community resources and
supports;
(F)monitor fidelity of
program implementation to assure that services are delivered according to the
specified model;
(G)establish procedures to promote
participation of fathers, where safe and appropriate;
(H)are research-based and
provide parents with—
(i)knowledge of
age-appropriate child development in cognitive, language, social-emotional, and
motor domains (including knowledge of second language acquisition, in the case
of English language learners);
(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)ascertain what health and
developmental services the family receives and works with providers of such
services 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)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, fatherhood programs, and child care resource and
referral agencies; and
(K)offer 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 programs relating to—
(A)effective methods of
implementing parent education, conducting home visiting, and promoting positive
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, including second language acquisition for English
language learners, 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 or local 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 representatives from high quality
programs of early childhood home visitation operating in the State are included
in an existing State-level early childhood coordinating body, such as the State
Advisory Council on Early Childhood Care and Education (as defined in section
642B(b) of the Head Start Act), that meets regularly to address policy and
implementation issues that will improve the coordination and effectiveness of a
range of services for children and families; and
(4)use not 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.
(f)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.
(g)(1)In order to receive an
allotment under subsection (b)(2), a State shall match the amount of such
allotment with funds not derived from other Federal sources on the following
basis:
(A)10 percent of such
allotment for fiscal year 2011;
(B)20 percent of such
allotment for fiscal year 2012; and
(C)30 percent of such
allotment for fiscal year 2013.
(2)The funds resulting from the requirement in paragraph
(1) shall be exported in accordance with the requirements of this
section.
(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)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;
(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 training and
technical assistance, including ongoing professional development, provided to
programs supported under the grant;
(5)beginning at the end of
the second year of the grant, the results of evaluations described in
subsection (c)(7)(H); and
(6)the annual program implementation costs,
including the cost per family served under the program.
5.Targeted grants for
early childhood home visitation for families with English language
learners
(a)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
through 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 high quality 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 demonstrates the need for services to
eligible families with English language learners and describes—
(A)community
demographics;
(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 (e);
(5)how services provided
through a grant under this section will use materials that are appropriate for
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)where appropriate to the
program goals of the home visiting model, families participating in early
childhood home visitation programs with English language learners will be
introduced to and connected with their local schools to encourage ongoing
parental involvement in their children’s education; 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 be provided to 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)number of eligible
families with English language learners served by programs of early childhood
home visitation;
(B)parental knowledge of
early learning and development;
(C)positive parenting
practices related to early learning and development; and
(D)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)
(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 fewer 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)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 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.
(f)Each applicant
that receives a grant under this section to carry out a program shall submit an
annual report to the Secretary, and the lead State agency as described in
section 4(c)(1), 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 rates of family retention in
programs; 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 training and
technical assistance, including ongoing professional development, provided to
programs supported under the grant.
(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 $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and such sums for fiscal
years 2010 through 2013.
6.Targeted grants for
early childhood home visitation for military families
(a)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 through high 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 demonstrates the need for services to
eligible families with a family member in the Armed Forces and
describes—
(A)community
demographics;
(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 appropriate
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)where appropriate to the
program goals of the home visiting model, families participating in early
childhood home visitation programs with a family member in the Armed Forces
will be introduced to and connected with their local schools to encourage
ongoing parental involvement in their children’s education; 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 be provided to help 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)number of eligible
families with a family member in the Armed Forces served by programs of early
childhood home visitation;
(B)parental knowledge of
early learning and development;
(C)positive parenting
practices related to early learning and development; and
(D)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)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 fewer 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)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 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.
(f)Each applicant
that receives a grant under this section to carry out a program shall submit an
annual report to the Secretary, and the lead State agency as described in
section 4(c)(1), 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 training and
technical assistance, including ongoing professional development, provided to
programs supported under the grant.
(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 are authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this section $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and such sums as may be
necessary for fiscal years 2010 through 2013.
7.
(a)From funds reserved under section 4(b)(1)(A), the
Secretary shall conduct, through grant or contract, an independent evaluation
of the effectiveness of home visitation programs carried out under 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 Labor of the House of
Representatives.
(2)Not later than 4 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
independent evaluation conducted under this section shall examine the
following:
(1)The effect of home
visiting programs on child and parent outcomes, consistent with program goals,
including, where appropriate given the program being evaluated, parental
outcomes related to child health and development, parenting practices, child
health and development, child maltreatment, school readiness, and links to
community services.
(2)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.
8.
(a)The Secretary shall annually provide a report to the
Committee on Education and Labor in the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in the Senate, information
on the activities carried out under this Act.
(b)The
reports submitted under this section shall, at a minimum, include information
about the programs carried out under this Act, including information on the
following:
(1)descriptions of the high
need communities targeted by States for programs carried out under this
Act;
(2)the service delivery
models funded under this Act;
(3)program characteristics,
including—
(A)staff qualifications and
demographic characteristics; and
(B)recipient characteristics
including the number of families served, the demographic characteristics of the
families served, and family retention and duration of services;
(4)program-reported
outcomes;
(5)the findings from State
evaluations;
(6)the research-based
instruction, materials, and activities being used in the activities funded
under the grant;
(7)the training and
technical activities, including on-going professional development, provided to
programs; and
(8)the annual program
implementation costs, including the cost per family served under the
program.
9.Supporting new parents
through hospital education
(a)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)
(1)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)The Secretary, in implementing and executing 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.
(3)Existing state
requirementsThe Secretary, in implementing and executing the
public information and educational campaign under this section, shall consider
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
AppropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be
necessary for fiscal years 2009 through 2013.
September 19, 2008
Committee on Armed
Services discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed