1.This Act may be cited as the
Education Begins at Home Act of
2009
.
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 ongoing 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 2010 and such sums as may be
necessary for fiscal years 2011 through 2014.
(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 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 ongoing 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 2010 and such sums for fiscal
years 2011 through 2014.
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 2010 and such sums as may be
necessary for fiscal years 2011 through 2014.
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 ongoing 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 2010 through 2014.