Education Begins at Home Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, to make: (1) grants to states for programs of early childhood home visitation; and (2) competitive grants to local educational agencies and other eligible applicants for early home visitation for families with English language learners. Directs the Secretary of Defense, in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, to make competitive grants to eligible applicants for early home visitation for military families.
Amends the Head Start Act to direct the Secretary of HHS to establish standards for home visitor staff in Early Head Start programs with respect to their training, qualifications, and conduct of home visits.
Revises Early Head Start programs to provide for: (1) training in parenting skills and child development; (2) certain home-based and family support services; (3) procedures for transition into Head Start or other local early childhood education programs; (4) staff communication and program coordination; and (5) professional development and personnel enhancement.
Directs the Secretary of HHS to 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 five years of age.
[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 667 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 667
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
February 16, 2007
Mr. Bond (for himself 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 PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the home is the first and most important learning
environment for children, and parents are their children's
first and most influential teacher;
(2) through parent education and family support, we can
promote parents' ability to enhance their children's
development from birth until entry into kindergarten thereby
helping parents to prepare their children for success in
school;
(3) undiagnosed and unaddressed developmental and health
problems can impede overall child development and school
readiness;
(4) all parents deserve and can benefit from--
(A) research-based information regarding child
development;
(B) enrichment opportunities with their children;
and
(C) early opportunities to become involved with
their community and schools; and
(5) early childhood home visitation leads to positive
outcomes for children and families, including readiness for
school, improved child health and development, positive
parenting practices, and reductions in child maltreatment.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
(1) To enable States 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 (52 U.S.C.
450(b)(e)).
(4) Secretary.--Except as provided in section 7, 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 8;
(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 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 organizations 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 2008 through 2010.
(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
8.
(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 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)(1) 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 deliver 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 quality programs of early
childhood home visitation that--
(A) adopts a clear, consistent model that is
grounded in empirically-based knowledge related to home
visiting and linked to program-determined outcomes;
(B) employs well-trained and competent staff, as
demonstrated by education or training, and the
provision of ongoing and specific training on the model
being delivered;
(C) maintains high quality supervision to establish
home visitor competencies;
(D) demonstrates strong organizational capacity to
implement the program involved;
(E) establishes appropriate linkages and referral
networks to other community resources and supports;
(F) monitors fidelity of program implementation to
ensure that services are delivered pursuant to the
specified model;
(G) are research-based, that 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;
(H) 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;
(I) 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;
(J) offer group meetings (at the discretion of the
program involved) for eligible families that--
(i) further enhance the information,
activities, and skill-building addressed during
home visitation; and
(ii) offer opportunities for parents to
meet with and support each other;
(K) 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--
(i) effective methods of conducting parent
education, home visiting, and promoting quality
early childhood development;
(ii) the relationship of health and well-
being of pregnant women to prenatal and early
childhood development;
(iii) early childhood development with
respect to children from birth until entry into
kindergarten;
(iv) methods to help parents promote
emergent literacy in their children from birth
until entry into kindergarten;
(v) health, vision, hearing, and
developmental screenings;
(vi) strategies for helping eligible
families with special needs or those eligible
families coping with crisis;
(vii) recruiting, supervising, and
retaining qualified staff;
(viii) increasing services for underserved
populations;
(ix) methods to help parents effectively
respond to their children's needs and
behaviors; and
(x) implementation of ongoing program
quality improvement and evaluation of
activities and outcomes;
(L) 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--
(i) 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;
(ii) representatives from State Head Start
Associations;
(iii) 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.);
(iv) the State official with responsibility
for carrying out activities under section 619
of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (20 U.S.C. 1419);
(v) representatives from child care
resource and referral State offices;
(vi) representatives from quality programs
of early childhood home visitation; and
(vii) a board certified pediatrician or a
developmental pediatrician; and
(M) 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 recipient of
services under the program, including the number of
recipients, their demographic characteristics, 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)(4)(G);
and
(6) the annual program implementation costs, including the
cost for each family served under the program.
SEC. 5. STRENGTHENING EARLY HEAD START HOME VISITATION.
Section 645A of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (4), by striking ``provide
services to parents to support their role as parents''
and inserting ``provide additional services to parents
to support their role as parents (including training in
parenting skills, basic child development, and
sensitivity to cultural variations in parenting norms
and attitudes toward formal supports)'';
(B) in paragraph (5)--
(i) by inserting ``(including home-based
services)'' after ``with services''; and
(ii) by inserting ``, and family support
services'' after ``health services'';
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (7), (8), and (9)
as paragraphs (9), (10), and (11), respectively; and
(D) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
``(7) develop and implement a systematic procedure for
transitioning children and parents from an Early Head Start
program into a Head Start program or another local early
childhood education program;
``(8) establish channels of communication between staff of
Early Head Start programs and staff of Head Start programs or
other local early childhood education programs, to facilitate
the coordination of programs;'';
(2) in subsection (g)(2)(B), by striking clause (iv) and
inserting the following:
``(iv) providing professional development
and personnel enhancement activities, including
the provision of funds to recipients of grants
under subsection (a), relating to effective
methods of conducting parent education, home
visiting, and promoting quality early childhood
development.''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(h) Staff Qualifications and Development.--
``(1) Home visitor staff.--
``(A) Standards.--In order to further enhance the
quality of home visiting services provided to families
of children participating in home-based, center-based,
or combination program options under this subchapter,
the Secretary shall establish standards for training,
qualifications, and the conduct of home visits for home
visitor staff in Early Head Start programs.
``(B) Contents.--The standards for training,
qualifications, and the conduct of home visits shall
include content related to--
``(i) structured child-focused home
visiting that promotes parents' ability to
support the child's cognitive, social,
emotional, and physical development;
``(ii) effective strengths-based parent
education, including methods to encourage
parents as their child's first teachers;
``(iii) early childhood development with
respect to children from birth through age 3;
``(iv) methods to help parents promote
emergent literacy in their children from birth
through age 3;
``(v) ascertaining what health and
developmental services the family involved
receives and working with the service providers
to eliminate gaps in services by offering
annual health, vision, hearing, and
developmental screenings for children from
birth through entry into kindergarten, when
needed;
``(vi) strategies for helping families
coping with crisis; and
``(vii) the relationship of health and
well-being of pregnant women to prenatal and
early child development.''.
SEC. 6. TARGETED GRANTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITATION FOR
FAMILIES WITH ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, in 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, capacity, and 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, 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) Activities to ascertain what health and developmental
services families 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 program discretion), on not
less frequently than a monthly basis, for eligible families
with English language learners that--
(A) further enhance the information, activities,
and skill-building addressed during home visitation;
(B) offer opportunities for parents to meet with
and support each other; and
(C) address challenges facing eligible families
with English language learners.
(5) Providing training and technical assistance to early
childhood home visitation and early childhood care and
education staff relating to--
(A) effective service to eligible families with
English language learners, including skills to address
challenges facing English language learners;
(B) effective methods of implementing parent
education, conducting home 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 that include the number, demographic
characteristics, and family retention under the
program; 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 2008 through 2010.
SEC. 7. 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 quality programs
of early childhood home visitation that are research-based,
that provide parents with--
(A) knowledge of age appropriate child development
in cognitive, language, social-emotional, and motor
domains;
(B) knowledge of realistic expectations of age-
appropriate child behaviors;
(C) knowledge of health and wellness issues for
children and parents;
(D) modeling, consulting, and coaching on parenting
practices;
(E) skills to interact with their child to enhance
age-appropriate development;
(F) skills to recognize and seek help for 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
family 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 that include the number, demographic
characteristics, and family retention under the
program; 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 2008 through 2010.
SEC. 8. EVALUATION.
(a) In General.--From funds reserved under section 6(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. 9. SUPPORTING NEW PARENTS THROUGH HOSPITAL EDUCATION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall develop and
implement a public information and educational campaign to inform the
public and new parents about the importance of proper care for infants
and children under 5 years of age, including healthy parent-child
relationships, the demands and stress associated with caring for
infants, positive responses to infants' challenging behaviors including
awareness of their social, emotional, and physical needs, awareness of
the vulnerability of young children to abusive practices, and the signs
and treatment of post-partum depression.
(b) Elements.--
(1) In general.--The campaign developed under subsection
(a) shall include the following elements:
(A) The dissemination of educational and
informational materials in print, audio, video,
electronic, and other media.
(B) The use of public service announcements and
advertisements.
(C) The dissemination of effective child abuse
prevention practices and techniques, including
information about research-based home visiting
programs, respite care, crisis nurseries, and patent
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 2008.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2173-2178)
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