1.This Act may be cited as the
Education Begins at Home
Act
.
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 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)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.
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, 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)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)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)Except
as provided in section 6, the term Secretary means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
(5)The
term State means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia,
and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(6)Territories and
possessionsThe term territories and possessions
means American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam,
and the United States Virgin Islands.
(7)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)).
4.State grants for
early childhood home visitation
(a)The
Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, shall make grants
to States to enable such States to establish or expand quality programs of
early childhood home visitation, as specified under subsection (f). Each grant
shall consist of the allotment determined for a State under subsection
(b).
(b)Determination
of reservations; amount of allotments; authorization of appropriations
(1)Reservations
from appropriationsFrom the total amount made available to carry
out this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve—
(A)3 percent for an
independent evaluation of the activities carried out under this Act, as
specified in section 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 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)Subject to clause (ii), the Secretary shall allot the
amount made available under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year among the States
in proportion to the number of children, aged from birth to 5 years, who reside
within the State, compared to the number of such individuals who reside in all
such States for that fiscal year.
(ii)No
State receiving an allotment under clause (i) may receive more than
$20,000,000.
(3)Indian tribes,
tribal organizations, territories and possessions
(A)Indian tribes
and tribal organizationsFrom 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
possessionsFrom 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 appropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this section $400,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2010 through
2012.
(c)
(1)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)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)The
Secretary may approve an application submitted under subparagraph (A) based on
the quality of the information contained in the application.
(C)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)
(1)
(A)The Secretary shall approve an application under this
section based on the recommendations of a peer review panel, as described in
paragraph (2).
(B)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)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)Grants made under this section shall be for a period of no
more than 3 years.
(f)Each State that receives a grant under this section
shall—
(1)provide to as
many eligible families in the State as practicable, voluntary early childhood
home visitation, on not less frequently than a monthly basis with greater
frequency of services for those eligible families identified with additional
needs, through the implementation of 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)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)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.
5.Targeted grants
for early childhood home visitation for families with English language
learners
(a)The Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of
Education, shall make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible applicants to
enable such applicants to support and expand local efforts to deliver services
under quality programs of early childhood home visitation, to eligible families
with English language learners.
(b)In this section, the term eligible
applicant means—
(1)1 or more local
educational agencies (as defined in section 9101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)); and
(2)1 or more public
or private community-based organizations or agencies that serve eligible
families and are capable of establishing and implementing programs of early
childhood home visitation.
(c)An
eligible applicant that desires to receive a grant under this section shall
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require. The application shall
include a description of—
(1)the results of a
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)
(1)The Secretary shall select applicants for funding under
this section based on the quality of the applications and the recommendations
of a peer review panel, as described in paragraph (2).
(2)The peer review panel shall include not less than—
(A)2 individuals who
are experts in the field of home visitation;
(B)2 individuals who
are experts in early childhood development;
(C)2 individuals who
are experts in serving eligible families with English language learners;
(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)Grants made under this section shall be for a period of no
more than 3 years.
(f)Each eligible applicant that receives a grant under
this section shall carry out the following activities:
(1)Providing to as
many eligible families with English language learners as practicable, voluntary
early childhood home visitation, on not less frequently than a monthly basis,
through the implementation of 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)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)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 appropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this section $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2010 through
2012.
6.Targeted grants
for early childhood home visitation for military families
(a)The Secretary of Defense, in collaboration with the
Secretary of Education, shall make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible
applicants to enable such applicants to support and expand efforts to deliver
services under 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
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)The Secretary of Defense shall select applicants for
funding under this section based on the quality of the applications and the
recommendations of a peer review panel, as described in paragraph (2).
(2)The peer review panel shall include not less than—
(A)2 individuals who
are experts in the field of home visitation;
(B)2 individuals who
are experts in early childhood development;
(C)2 individuals who
are experts in family support for military families;
(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)Grants made under this section shall be for a period of no
more than 3 years.
(f)Each eligible applicant that receives a grant under
this section shall carry out the following activities:
(1)Providing to as
many eligible families with a family member in the Armed Forces as practicable,
voluntary early childhood home visitation, on not less frequently than a
monthly basis, through the implementation of 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)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)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 appropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this section $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2010 through
2012.
7.
(a)From funds reserved under section 4(b)(1)(A), the
Secretary shall conduct an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of this
Act.
(b)
(1)Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall submit an interim report on the evaluation conducted
pursuant to subsection (a) to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of
Representatives.
(2)Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall submit a final report on the evaluation conducted
pursuant to subsection (a) to the committees described in paragraph (1).
(c)The
reports submitted under subsection (b) shall include information on the
following:
(1)How the grant
funds have expanded access to early childhood home visitation 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.
8.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)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)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
requirementsThe 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 appropriationsThere is
authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this
section for fiscal year 2010.