[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 244 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 244

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 14, 2009

 Mr. Bond (for himself, Mrs. Murray, and Mrs. Clinton) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


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

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

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

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the home is the first and most important learning 
        environment for children, and parents are their children's 
        first and most influential teachers;
            (2) through parent education and family support, we can 
        promote parents' ability to enhance their children's 
        development from birth until entry into kindergarten thereby 
        helping parents to prepare their children for success in 
        school;
            (3) undiagnosed and unaddressed developmental and health 
        problems can impede overall child development and school 
        readiness;
            (4) all parents deserve and can benefit from--
                    (A) research-based information regarding child 
                development;
                    (B) enrichment opportunities with their children; 
                and
                    (C) early opportunities to become involved with 
                their community and schools; and
            (5) early childhood home visitation leads to positive 
        outcomes for children and families, including readiness for 
        school, improved child health and development, positive 
        parenting practices, and reductions in child maltreatment.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
            (1) To enable States to deliver services under early 
        childhood home visitation programs to pregnant women and 
        parents of children from birth until entry into kindergarten in 
        order to promote parents' ability to support their children's 
        optimal cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical 
        development.
            (2) To improve Early Head Start programs carried out under 
        section 645A of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840a).
            (3) To expand early childhood home visitation programs so 
        as to more effectively reach and serve families with English 
        language learners.
            (4) To expand early childhood visitation programs so as to 
        more effectively reach and serve families serving in the 
        military.
            (5) To establish a public education and awareness campaign 
        concerning the importance of the proper care of infants and 
        young children.
            (6) To make available for parents of newborn children 
        parenting classes that convey information about the importance 
        of proper care for newborns, including information about 
        symptoms of abusive head and other injuries.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

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

SEC. 4. STATE GRANTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITATION.

    (a) Authorization.--The Secretary, in collaboration with the 
Secretary of Education, shall make grants to States to enable such 
States to establish or expand quality programs of early childhood home 
visitation, as specified under subsection (f). Each grant shall consist 
of the allotment determined for a State under subsection (b).
    (b) Determination of Reservations; Amount of Allotments; 
Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) Reservations from appropriations.--From the total 
        amount made available to carry out this section for a fiscal 
        year, the Secretary shall reserve--
                    (A) 3 percent for an independent evaluation of the 
                activities carried out under this Act, as specified in 
                section 7;
                    (B) not more than 3 percent for Federal 
                administrative costs;
                    (C) 2 percent for training and technical assistance 
                for States;
                    (D) not more than 2 percent for payments to Indian 
                tribes and tribal organizations with applications 
                approved under this section; and
                    (E) not more than 0.5 percent for payments to 
                territories and possessions with applications approved 
                under this section.
            (2) State allotments for early childhood home visitation.--
                    (A) In general.--In accordance with subparagraph 
                (B), the Secretary shall allot among each of the 
                eligible States the total amount made available to 
                carry out this section for any fiscal year and not 
                reserved under paragraph (1), to carry out programs of 
                early childhood home visitation in accordance with this 
                section.
                    (B) Determination of state allotments.--
                            (i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), 
                        the Secretary shall allot the amount made 
                        available under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal 
                        year among the States in proportion to the 
                        number of children, aged from birth to 5 years, 
                        who reside within the State, compared to the 
                        number of such individuals who reside in all 
                        such States for that fiscal year.
                            (ii) Exception.--No State receiving an 
                        allotment under clause (i) may receive more 
                        than $20,000,000.
            (3) Indian tribes, tribal organizations, territories and 
        possessions.--
                    (A) Indian tribes and tribal organizations.--From 
                amounts reserved for each fiscal year under paragraph 
                (1)(D), the Secretary shall make payments to each 
                Indian tribe or tribal organization with an application 
                approved under this section in an amount determined in 
                accordance with the respective needs described in the 
                application.
                    (B) Territories and possessions.--From amounts 
                reserved for each fiscal year under paragraph (1)(E), 
                the Secretary shall make payments to each territory and 
                possession with an application approved under this 
                section in an amount determined in accordance with the 
                respective needs described in the application.
            (4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this section $400,000,000 for 
        the period of fiscal years 2010 through 2012.
    (c) Grant Applications.--
            (1) State applications.--A State that desires to receive a 
        grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
        Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary may require. The application shall 
        contain the following information:
                    (A) 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.
                    (B) An assurance that the State will reserve 3 
                percent of such grant for evaluation and will 
                participate in the independent evaluation under section 
                7.
                    (C) An assurance that the State will reserve 10 
                percent of the grant funds for training and technical 
                assistance of staff of programs of early childhood home 
                visitation.
                    (D) An assurance that the State will authorize 
                child care resource and referral agencies to refer 
                parents seeking home visitation services.
                    (E) The results of a statewide needs assessment 
                that describes--
                            (i) the quality and capacity of existing 
                        programs of early childhood home visitation in 
                        the State;
                            (ii) the number and types of eligible 
                        families who are receiving services under such 
                        programs; and
                            (iii) the gaps in early childhood home 
                        visitation in the State.
                    (F) A State plan containing the following:
                            (i) A description of the State's strategy 
                        to establish or expand quality programs of 
                        early childhood home visitation to serve all 
                        eligible families in the State.
                            (ii) A description of the quality programs 
                        of early childhood home visitation that will be 
                        supported by a grant under this section.
                            (iii) A description of how the proposed 
                        program of early childhood home visitation will 
                        promote positive parenting skills and 
                        children's early learning and development.
                            (iv) A description of how the proposed 
                        program of early childhood home visitation will 
                        incorporate the authorized activities described 
                        in subsection (f).
                            (v) How the lead State agency will build on 
                        and promote coordination among existing 
                        programs of early childhood home visitation in 
                        an effort to promote an array of home 
                        visitation that ensures more eligible families 
                        are being served and are getting the most 
                        appropriate services to meet their needs.
                            (vi) How the lead State agency will promote 
                        channels of communication between staff of 
                        programs of early childhood home visitation and 
                        staff of other early childhood education 
                        programs, such as Head Start programs carried 
                        out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et 
                        seq.) and Early Head Start programs carried out 
                        under section 645A of such Act, preschool 
                        programs, and child care programs, to 
                        facilitate the coordination of services for 
                        eligible families.
                            (vii) How the lead State agency (or the 
                        lead entity designated by the State for a grant 
                        under title II of the Child Abuse Prevention 
                        and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5116 et seq.)) 
                        will provide training and technical assistance 
                        to staff of programs of early childhood home 
                        visitation involved in activities under this 
                        section to more effectively meet the needs of 
                        the eligible families served with sensitivity 
                        to cultural variations in parenting norms and 
                        attitudes toward formal support services.
                            (viii) How the lead State agency will 
                        evaluate the activities supported under this 
                        section in order to demonstrate outcomes 
                        related to the enhancement of--
                                    (I) parent knowledge of early 
                                learning and development;
                                    (II) child health, cognitive, 
                                language, social-emotional, and 
                                physical development indicators;
                                    (III) child maltreatment indicators 
                                for child abuse and neglect prevention;
                                    (IV) school readiness indicators; 
                                and
                                    (V) links to community services.
                            (ix) A description of how the lead State 
                        agency will ensure that the home visitation 
                        programs will conduct outreach activities to 
                        target both mothers and fathers, and increase 
                        father involvement where appropriate.
                            (x) A description of how the lead State 
                        agency will increase home visitation programs 
                        participation rates for fathers.
                            (xi) 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.
                    (G) Such other information as the Secretary may 
                require.
            (2) Indian tribes, tribal organizations, territories and 
        possessions.--
                    (A) In general.--An Indian tribe, tribal 
                organization, territory, or possession that desires to 
                receive a grant under this section shall submit an 
                application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
                manner, and containing such information as the 
                Secretary may require. The application shall contain 
                the information described in paragraph (1) with respect 
                to the applicant entity.
                    (B) Approval.--The Secretary may approve an 
                application submitted under subparagraph (A) based on 
                the quality of the information contained in the 
                application.
                    (C) Exemptions.--The Secretary may exempt an 
                applicant under subparagraph (A) from any requirement 
                of this section if the Secretary determines that the 
                application of such requirements would be inappropriate 
                taking into consideration the resources, needs, and 
                other circumstances of the applicant entity. This 
                subparagraph shall not apply to the requirements 
                described in subsections (f) and (h).
    (d) Approval of Applications.--
            (1) Recommendation of panel.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary shall approve an 
                application under this section based on the 
                recommendations of a peer review panel, as described in 
                paragraph (2).
                    (B) Selection criteria.--A peer review panel shall 
                determine which applicants to recommend for approval, 
                for purposes of subparagraph (A), based on the quality 
                of the application submitted. Consideration shall be 
                given by the panel to the inclusion of applicants, to 
                the extent practicable, that have the ability to 
                incorporate comparison or control groups in their 
                service delivery model, recognizing that universal 
                access to home visitation services, among other 
                factors, may prevent some quality programs from 
                conducting such evaluation.
            (2) Peer review panel.--The peer review panel shall include 
        not less than--
                    (A) 3 individuals who are experts in the field of 
                home visitation;
                    (B) 2 individuals who are experts in early 
                childhood development;
                    (C) 1 individual with experience implementing a 
                statewide program of early childhood home visitation;
                    (D) 1 individual who is a board certified 
                pediatrician or a developmental pediatrician; and
                    (E) 1 individual with experience in administering 
                public or private (including community-based) child 
                maltreatment prevention programs.
    (e) Duration of Grants.--Grants made under this section shall be 
for a period of no more than 3 years.
    (f) State Uses of Funds.--Each State that receives a grant under 
this section shall--
            (1) provide to as many eligible families in the State as 
        practicable, voluntary early childhood home visitation, on not 
        less frequently than a monthly basis with greater frequency of 
        services for those eligible families identified with additional 
        needs, through the implementation of other quality programs of 
        early childhood home visitation that--
                    (A) adopt a clear, consistent model that is 
                grounded in empirically-based knowledge related to home 
                visiting and linked to program-determined outcomes;
                    (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 to establish 
                home visitor competencies;
                    (D) demonstrate 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 
                ensure that services are delivered pursuant to the 
                specified model; and
                    (G) are research-based and provide parents with--
                            (i) knowledge of age-appropriate child 
                        development in cognitive, language, social-
                        emotional, and motor domains;
                            (ii) knowledge of realistic expectations of 
                        age-appropriate child behaviors;
                            (iii) knowledge of health and wellness 
                        issues for children and parents;
                            (iv) modeling and consulting services 
                        related to parenting;
                            (v) skills to interact with their child to 
                        enhance age-appropriate development;
                            (vi) skills to recognize and seek help for 
                        health issues and 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;
            (2) ascertain which developmental services the family 
        receives and work with service providers to eliminate gaps in 
        services by offering annual health, vision, hearing, and 
        developmental screening for children from birth until entry 
        into kindergarten, when not otherwise provided;
            (3) provide referrals for eligible families, as needed, to 
        additional resources available in the community, such as 
        center-based early education programs, child care services, 
        health or mental health services, family literacy programs, 
        employment agencies, social services, and child care resource 
        and referral agencies;
            (4) offer group meetings (at the discretion of the program 
        involved) for eligible families that--
                    (A) further enhance the information, activities, 
                and skill-building addressed during home visitation; 
                and
                    (B) offer opportunities for parents to meet with 
                and support each other;
            (5) reserve 10 percent of the grant funds to provide 
        training and technical assistance, directly or through 
        contract, to early childhood home visitation and early 
        childhood care and education staff relating to--
                    (A) effective methods of conducting parent 
                education, home visiting, and promoting quality early 
                childhood development;
                    (B) the relationship of health and well-being of 
                pregnant women to prenatal and early childhood 
                development;
                    (C) early childhood development with respect to 
                children from birth until entry into kindergarten;
                    (D) methods to help parents promote emergent 
                literacy in their children from birth until entry into 
                kindergarten;
                    (E) health, vision, hearing, and developmental 
                screenings;
                    (F) strategies for helping eligible families with 
                special needs or those eligible families coping with 
                crisis;
                    (G) recruiting, supervising, and retaining 
                qualified staff;
                    (H) increasing services for underserved 
                populations;
                    (I) methods to help parents effectively respond to 
                their children's needs and behaviors; and
                    (J) implementation of ongoing program quality 
                improvement and evaluation of activities and outcomes;
            (6) ensure coordination of programs of early childhood home 
        visitation, early childhood education and care, and early 
        intervention, through an existing or created State-level early 
        childhood coordinating body that includes--
                    (A) representatives from relevant State agencies, 
                including the State agency responsible for carrying out 
                the plan under section 106 of the Child Abuse 
                Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a);
                    (B) representatives from State Head Start 
                Associations;
                    (C) the State official with responsibility for 
                carrying out activities under part C of the Individuals 
                with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1431 et 
                seq.);
                    (D) the State official with responsibility for 
                carrying out activities under section 619 of the 
                Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
                1419);
                    (E) representatives from child care resource and 
                referral State offices;
                    (F) representatives from quality programs of early 
                childhood home visitation; and
                    (G) a board certified pediatrician or a 
                developmental pediatrician; and
            (7) not expend more than 5 percent of the amount of grant 
        funds received under this section for the administration of the 
        grant, including planning, administration, evaluation, and 
        annual reporting.
    (g) Maintenance of Effort.--A State is entitled to receive its full 
allotment of funds under this section for any fiscal year if the 
Secretary finds that the aggregate expenditures within the State for 
quality programs of early childhood home visitation, for the fiscal 
year preceding the fiscal year for which the determination is made, was 
not less than 100 percent of such aggregate expenditures for the second 
fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the determination is 
made.
    (h) Reporting Requirements.--Each State that receives a grant under 
this section shall submit an annual report to the Secretary regarding 
the State's progress in addressing the purposes of this Act. Such 
report shall include, at a minimum, a description of--
            (1) the actual services delivered under the grant, 
        including--
                    (A) the program characteristics, including 
                descriptive information on the service models used and 
                the actual program performance;
                    (B) the characteristics of the providers involved, 
                including staff qualifications, work experience, and 
                demographic characteristics; and
                    (C) the characteristics of the recipients of 
                services under the program, including the number and 
                demographic characteristics of the recipients and 
                family retention;
            (2) recipient outcomes that are consistent with program 
        goals, including, where appropriate based on the outcomes being 
        evaluated, a description of--
                    (A) affected parental practices;
                    (B) child health, cognitive, language, social-
                emotional, and physical developmental indicators;
                    (C) child maltreatment indicators, including 
                prevention strategies;
                    (D) school readiness indicators; and
                    (E) links to community services;
            (3) the research-based instruction, materials, and 
        activities being used in the activities funded under the grant;
            (4) the effectiveness of the training and ongoing 
        professional development provided--
                    (A) to staff supported under the grant; and
                    (B) to the broader early childhood community;
            (5) beginning at the end of the second year of the grant, 
        the results of evaluations described in subsection 
        (c)(1)(F)(viii); and
            (6) the annual program implementation costs, including the 
        cost for each family served under the program.

SEC. 5. TARGETED GRANTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITATION FOR 
              FAMILIES WITH ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary 
of Education, shall make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible 
applicants to enable such applicants to support and expand local 
efforts to deliver services under quality programs of early childhood 
home visitation, to eligible families with English language learners.
    (b) Eligible Applicant.--In this section, the term ``eligible 
applicant'' means--
            (1) 1 or more local educational agencies (as defined in 
        section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)); and
            (2) 1 or more public or private community-based 
        organizations or agencies that serve eligible families and are 
        capable of establishing and implementing programs of early 
        childhood home visitation.
    (c) Applications.--An eligible applicant that desires to receive a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require. The application shall include a description of--
            (1) the results of a community wide needs assessment that 
        describes--
                    (A) community demographics demonstrating the need 
                for outreach and services to eligible families with 
                English language learners;
                    (B) the quality and capacity of existing programs 
                of early childhood home visitation for eligible 
                families with English language learners;
                    (C) the gaps in programs of early childhood home 
                visitation for eligible families with English language 
                learners; and
                    (D) the type of program of early childhood home 
                visitation necessary to address the gaps identified;
            (2) the program of early childhood home visitation that 
        will be supported by the grant under this section;
            (3) how the proposed program of early childhood home 
        visitation will promote positive parenting skills and 
        children's early learning and development;
            (4) how the proposed program of early childhood home 
        visitation will incorporate the authorized activities described 
        in subsection (f);
            (5) how services provided through a grant under this 
        section will use materials that are geared toward eligible 
        families with English language learners;
            (6) how the activities under this section will build upon 
        and promote coordination among existing programs of early 
        childhood home visitation, if such programs exist in the 
        community, in an effort to promote an array of home visitation 
        that ensures more eligible families with English language 
        learners are being served and are getting the most appropriate 
        services to meet their needs;
            (7) how the program will ensure that--
                    (A) eligible families with English language 
                learners are linked to schools; and
                    (B) the activities under this section will support 
                the preparation of children for school;
            (8) how channels of communication will be established 
        between staff of programs of early childhood home visitation 
        and staff of other early childhood education programs, such as 
        Head Start programs carried out under the Head Start Act (42 
        U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) and Early Head Start programs carried out 
        under section 645A of such Act, preschool programs, and child 
        care programs, to facilitate the coordination of services for 
        eligible families with English language learners;
            (9) how eligible families with English language learners 
        will be recruited and retained to receive services under this 
        section;
            (10) how training and technical assistance will help the 
        staff of programs of early childhood home visitation involved 
        in activities under this section to more effectively serve 
        eligible families with English language learners;
            (11) how the eligible applicant will evaluate the 
        activities supported under this section in order to demonstrate 
        outcomes related to the--
                    (A) increase in number of eligible families with 
                English language learners served by programs of early 
                childhood home visitation;
                    (B) enhancement of participating parents' knowledge 
                of early learning and development;
                    (C) enhancement of positive parenting practices 
                related to early learning and development; and
                    (D) enhancement of children's cognitive, language, 
                social-emotional, and physical development; and
            (12) such other information as the Secretary may require.
    (d) Approval of Applications.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall select applicants for 
        funding under this section based on the quality of the 
        applications and the recommendations of a peer review panel, as 
        described in paragraph (2).
            (2) Peer review panel.--The peer review panel shall include 
        not less than--
                    (A) 2 individuals who are experts in the field of 
                home visitation;
                    (B) 2 individuals who are experts in early 
                childhood development;
                    (C) 2 individuals who are experts in serving 
                eligible families with English language learners;
                    (D) 1 individual who is a board certified 
                pediatrician or a developmental pediatrician; and
                    (E) 1 individual with experience in administering 
                public or private (including community-based) child 
                maltreatment prevention programs.
    (e) Duration of Grants.--Grants made under this section shall be 
for a period of no more than 3 years.
    (f) Authorized Activities.--Each eligible applicant that receives a 
grant under this section shall carry out the following activities:
            (1) Providing to as many eligible families with English 
        language learners as practicable, voluntary early childhood 
        home visitation, on not less frequently than a monthly basis, 
        through the implementation of other 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 health 
                issues and 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 
        eligible families with English language learners receive and 
        working with service providers to eliminate gaps in service by 
        offering an annual health, vision, hearing, and developmental 
        screening for children from birth through their entry into 
        kindergarten.
            (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 the discretion of the 
        program involved), on not less frequently than a monthly basis, 
        for eligible families with English language learners that--
                    (A) further enhance the information, activities, 
                and skill-building addressed during home visitation;
                    (B) offer opportunities for parents to meet with 
                and support each other; and
                    (C) address challenges facing eligible families 
                with English language learners.
            (5) Providing training and technical assistance to early 
        childhood home visitation and early childhood care and 
        education staff relating to--
                    (A) effective service to eligible families with 
                English language learners, including skills to address 
                challenges facing English language learners;
                    (B) effective methods of implementing parent 
                education, conducting home visitation, 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; and
                    (J) implementation of ongoing program quality 
                improvement and evaluation of activities and outcomes.
            (6) Coordinating existing programs of early childhood home 
        visitation in order to effectively and efficiently meet the 
        needs of more eligible families with English language learners.
    (g) Reporting Requirements.--The recipient of a grant under this 
section shall submit to the Secretary an annual report concerning the 
progress of the program conducted by the recipient in addressing the 
purposes of this Act. Each such report shall, at a minimum, include a 
description of--
            (1) the actual service delivery provided for under the 
        grant, including--
                    (A) program characteristics that include 
                descriptive information on the service model used under 
                the program and actual program performance;
                    (B) the characteristics of service providers under 
                the program that include staff qualifications, work 
                experience, and demographic characteristics;
                    (C) the characteristics of recipients of services 
                under the program, including the number and demographic 
                characteristics of the recipients and family retention; 
                and
                    (D) an estimate of the annual program 
                implementation costs;
            (2) with respect to recipients of services under the 
        program, whether such services were provided in a manner 
        consistent with program goals including, where appropriate--
                    (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 conducted under the 
        program; and
            (4) the effectiveness of the training and ongoing 
        professional development provided--
                    (A) to the staff supported under the program; and
                    (B) to the affected early childhood community.
    (h) Supplement Not Supplant.--Grant funds provided under this 
section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, Federal and non-
Federal funds available for carrying out the activities described in 
this section.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2010 through 2012.

SEC. 6. TARGETED GRANTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITATION FOR 
              MILITARY FAMILIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense, in collaboration with 
the Secretary of Education, shall make grants, on a competitive basis, 
to eligible applicants to enable such applicants to support and expand 
efforts to deliver services under quality programs of early childhood 
home visitation, to eligible families with a family member in the Armed 
Forces.
    (b) Eligible Applicant.--In this section, the term ``eligible 
applicant'' means any of the following:
            (1) A local educational agency that receives payments under 
        title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.).
            (2) A school of the defense dependents' education system 
        under the Defense Dependents' Education Act of 1978 (20 U.S.C. 
        921 et seq.).
            (3) A school established under section 2164 of title 10, 
        United States Code.
            (4) A community-based organization serving families with a 
        family member in the Armed Forces.
    (c) Applications.--An eligible applicant that desires to receive a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
of Defense at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary of Defense may require. The application 
shall include a description of--
            (1) the results of a community wide needs assessment that 
        describes--
                    (A) community demographics demonstrating the need 
                for outreach and services to eligible families with a 
                family member in the Armed Forces;
                    (B) the quality, capacity, and existing programs of 
                early childhood home visitation for eligible families 
                with a family member in the Armed Forces;
                    (C) the gaps in programs of early childhood home 
                visitation for eligible families with a family member 
                in the Armed Forces; and
                    (D) the type of program of early childhood home 
                visitation necessary to address the gaps identified;
            (2) the program of early childhood home visitation that 
        will be supported by the grant under this section;
            (3) how the proposed program of early childhood home 
        visitation will promote positive parenting skills and 
        children's early learning and development;
            (4) how the proposed program of early childhood home 
        visitation will incorporate the authorized activities described 
        in subsection (f);
            (5) how services provided through a grant under this 
        section will use materials that are geared toward eligible 
        families with a family member in the Armed Forces;
            (6) how the activities under this section will build on and 
        promote coordination with existing programs of early childhood 
        home visitation, if such programs exist in the community, in an 
        effort to promote an array of home visitation that ensures more 
        eligible families with a family member in the Armed Forces are 
        being served and are getting the most appropriate services to 
        meet their needs;
            (7) how the program will ensure that--
                    (A) eligible families with a family member in the 
                Armed Forces are linked to schools; and
                    (B) the activities under this section will support 
                the preparation of children for school;
            (8) how channels of communication will be established 
        between staff of programs of early childhood home visitation 
        and staff of other early childhood education programs, such as 
        Head State programs carried out under the Head Start Act (42 
        U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) and Early Health State programs carried 
        out under section 645A of such Act, preschool programs, family 
        support programs, and child care programs, to facilitate the 
        coordination of services for eligible families with a family 
        member in the Armed Forces;
            (9) how eligible families with a family member in the Armed 
        Forces will be recruited and retained to receive services under 
        this section;
            (10) how training and technical assistance will help staff 
        of programs of early childhood home visitation involved in 
        activities under this section to more effectively serve 
        eligible families with a family member in the Armed Forces;
            (11) how the eligible applicant will evaluate the 
        activities supported under this section in order to demonstrate 
        outcomes related to the--
                    (A) increase in number of eligible families with a 
                family member in the Armed Forces served by programs of 
                early childhood home visitation;
                    (B) enhancement of participating parents' knowledge 
                of early learning and development;
                    (C) enhancement of positive parenting practices 
                related to early learning and development; and
                    (D) enhancement of children's cognitive, language, 
                social-emotional, and physical development; and
            (12) such other information as the Secretary of Defense may 
        require.
    (d) Approval of Local Applications.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall select 
        applicants for funding under this section based on the quality 
        of the applications and the recommendations of a peer review 
        panel, as described in paragraph (2).
            (2) Peer review panel.--The peer review panel shall include 
        not less than--
                    (A) 2 individuals who are experts in the field of 
                home visitation;
                    (B) 2 individuals who are experts in early 
                childhood development;
                    (C) 2 individuals who are experts in family support 
                for military families;
                    (D) 1 individual who is a board certified 
                pediatrician; and
                    (E) 1 individual with expertise in administering 
                public or private (including community-based) child 
                maltreatment prevention programs; and
    (e) Duration of Grants.--Grants made under this section shall be 
for a period of no more than 3 years.
    (f) Authorized Activities.--Each eligible applicant that receives a 
grant under this section shall carry out the following activities:
            (1) Providing to as many eligible families with a family 
        member in the Armed Forces as practicable, voluntary early 
        childhood home visitation, on not less frequently than a 
        monthly basis, through the implementation of other 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 health 
                issues and 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 development services the 
        eligible family with a family member in the Armed Forces 
        receives under the program and working with service providers 
        to eliminate gaps in service by offering annual health, vision, 
        hearing, and developmental screening for participating 
        children.
            (3) Providing referrals for participating eligible families 
        with a family member in the Armed Forces, as needed, to 
        additional resources available in the community, such as 
        center-based early education programs, child care services, 
        health or mental health services, family literacy programs, 
        employment agencies, social services, and child care resource 
        and referral agencies.
            (4) Offering group meetings (at the discretion of the 
        program), on not less frequently than a monthly basis, for 
        eligible families with a family member in the Armed Forces 
        that--
                    (A) further enhance the information, activities, 
                and skill-building addressed during home visitation;
                    (B) offer opportunities for parents to meet with 
                and support each other; and
                    (C) address challenges facing eligible families 
                with a family member in the Armed Forces.
            (5) Providing training and technical assistance to early 
        childhood home visitation and early childhood care and 
        education staff relating to--
                    (A) effective service to eligible families with a 
                family member in the Armed Forces;
                    (B) effective methods of conducting parent 
                education, home visiting, and promoting quality early 
                childhood development, 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; and
                    (J) implementation of ongoing program quality 
                improvement and evaluation of activities and outcomes.
            (6) Coordinating existing programs of early childhood home 
        visitation in order to effectively and efficiently meet the 
        needs of more eligible families with a family member in the 
        Armed Forces.
    (g) Reporting Requirements.--The recipient of a grant under this 
section shall submit to the Secretary an annual report concerning the 
progress of the program conducted by the recipient in addressing the 
purposes of this Act. Each such report shall, at a minimum, include a 
description of--
            (1) the actual service delivery provided for under the 
        grant, including--
                    (A) program characteristics that include 
                descriptive information on the service model used under 
                the program and actual program performance;
                    (B) the characteristics of service providers under 
                the program that include staff qualifications, work 
                experience, and demographic characteristics;
                    (C) the characteristics of recipients of services 
                under the program, including the number and demographic 
                characteristics of the recipients and family retention; 
                and
                    (D) an estimate of the annual program 
                implementation costs;
            (2) with respect to recipients of services under the 
        program, whether such services were provided in a manner 
        consistent with program goals including, where appropriate--
                    (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 conducted under the 
        program; and
            (4) the effectiveness of the training and ongoing 
        professional development provided--
                    (A) to the staff supported under the program; and
                    (B) to the affected early childhood community.
    (h) Supplement Not Supplant.--Grant funds provided under this 
section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, Federal and non-
Federal funds available for carrying out the activities described in 
this section.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2010 through 2012.

SEC. 7. EVALUATION.

    (a) In General.--From funds reserved under section 4(b)(1)(A), the 
Secretary shall conduct an independent evaluation of the effectiveness 
of this Act.
    (b) Reports.--
            (1) Interim report.--Not later than 2 years after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit an interim 
        report on the evaluation conducted pursuant to subsection (a) 
        to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 
        the Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor of the 
        House of Representatives.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a final 
        report on the evaluation conducted pursuant to subsection (a) 
        to the committees described in paragraph (1).
    (c) Contents.--The reports submitted under subsection (b) shall 
include information on the following:
            (1) How the grant funds have expanded access to early 
        childhood home visitation in a manner that demonstrates that 
        programs under this Act reflect the quality indicators under 
        this Act.
            (2) How the States are documenting compliance with the 
        service delivery indicators under this Act across all entities 
        carrying out programs under this Act with emphasis on the 
        number of families served and the level of service received.
            (3) How the services provided under State programs affect 
        outcomes consistent with programs goals, including, where 
        appropriate based on the program being evaluated, parenting 
        practices, child health and development, child maltreatment, 
        school readiness, and links to community services.
            (4) The effectiveness of early childhood home visitation on 
        different populations, including the extent to which 
        variability exists in program ability to improve outcomes 
        across programs and populations, such as families with English 
        language learners and families with a family member in the 
        Armed Forces.
            (5) The effectiveness of the training and technical 
        assistance activities funded under this Act, including the 
        effects of training and technical assistance activities on 
        program performance and agency-level collaboration.
            (6) Recommendations on strengthening or modifying this Act.

SEC. 8. SUPPORTING NEW PARENTS THROUGH HOSPITAL EDUCATION.

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