HR 2667 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to provide grants to States to establish or expand quality programs providing home visitation for families with young children and families expecting children.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

June 2, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. MCDERMOTT (for himself, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, and Mr. PLATTS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and MeansCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to provide grants to States to establish or expand quality programs providing home visitation for families with young children and families expecting children.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Early Support for Families Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO STATES FOR QUALITY HOME VISITATION PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EXPECTING CHILDREN.

Part B of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621-629i) is amended by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘Subpart 3--Support for Quality Home Visitation Programs

‘SEC. 440. HOME VISITATION PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EXPECTING CHILDREN.

‘(a) Purpose- The purpose of this section is to improve the well-being and development of children by enabling the establishment and expansion of quality programs providing voluntary home visitation for families with young children and families expecting children.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(b) Grant Application- A State that desires to receive a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require, an application for the grant that includes the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) DESCRIPTION OF HOME VISITATION PROGRAMS- A description of the high quality programs of home visitation for families with young children and families expecting children that will be supported by a grant made to the State under this section, the outcomes the programs are intended to achieve, and the evidence supporting the effectiveness of the programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) RESULTS OF NEEDS ASSESSMENT- The results of a statewide needs assessment that describes--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) the number, quality, and capacity of home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting children in the State;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) the number and types of eligible families who are receiving services under the programs;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) the sources and amount of funding provided to the programs;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) the gaps in early childhood home visitation in the State, including identification of communities that are in high need of the services; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) training and technical assistance activities designed to achieve or support the goals of the programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) ASSURANCES- Assurances from the State that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) in supporting home visitation programs using funds provided under this section, the State shall identify and prioritize serving communities that are in high need of such services, especially communities with a high proportion of low-income families or a high incidence of child maltreatment;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) the State will reserve 5 percent of the grant funds for training and technical assistance to the home visitation programs using such funds;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) in supporting home visitation programs using funds provided under this section, the State will promote coordination and collaboration with other child and family services, health services, income supports, and other related assistance;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) home visitation programs supported using such funds will, when appropriate, provide referrals to other programs serving children and families; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) the State will comply with subsection (i), and cooperate with any evaluation conducted under subsection (j).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) OTHER INFORMATION- Such other information as the Secretary may require.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(c) Allotments-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) INDIAN TRIBES- From the amount reserved under subsection (m)(2) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot to each Indian tribe that meets the requirement of subsection (d), if applicable, for the fiscal year the amount that bears the same ratio to the amount so reserved as the number of children in the Indian tribe whose families have income that does not exceed 200 percent of the poverty line bears to the total number of children in such Indian tribes whose families have income that does not exceed 200 percent of the poverty line.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) STATES AND TERRITORIES- From the amount appropriated under subsection (n) for a fiscal year that remains after making the reservations required by subsection (m), the Secretary shall allot to each State that is not an Indian tribe and that meets the requirement of subsection (d), if applicable, for the fiscal year the amount that bears the same ratio to the remainder of the amount so appropriated as the number of children in the State whose families have income that does not exceed 200 percent of the poverty line bears to the total number of children in such States whose families have income that does not exceed 200 percent of the poverty line.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) REALLOTMENTS- The amount of any allotment to a State under a paragraph of this subsection for any fiscal year that the State certifies to the Secretary will not be expended by the State pursuant to this section shall be available for reallotment using the allotment methodology specified in that paragraph. Any amount so reallotted to a State is deemed part of the allotment of the State under this subsection.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(d) Maintenance of Effort- Beginning with fiscal year 2011, a State meets the requirement of this subsection for a fiscal year if the Secretary finds that the aggregate expenditures by the State for quality programs of home visitation for families with young children and families expecting children for the then preceding fiscal year was not less than 100 percent of such aggregate expenditures for the then 2nd preceding fiscal year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(e) Payment of Grant-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall make a grant to each State that meets the requirements of subsections (b) and (d), if applicable, for a fiscal year for which funds are appropriated under subsection (n), in an amount equal to the lesser of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) the reimbursable percentage of the eligible expenditures of the State for the fiscal year; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) the amount allotted to the State under subsection (c) for the fiscal year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) REIMBURSABLE PERCENTAGE DEFINED- In paragraph (1), the term ‘reimbursable percentage’ means, with respect to a fiscal year--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) 85 percent, in the case of fiscal year 2010;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) 80 percent, in the case of fiscal year 2011; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) 75 percent, in the case of fiscal year 2012 and any succeeding fiscal year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(f) Eligible Expenditures-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- In this section, the term ‘eligible expenditures’--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) means expenditures to provide voluntary home visitation for as many families with young children and families expecting children as practicable, through the implementation or expansion of high quality programs that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) adhere to clear evidence-based models of home visitation that have demonstrated significant positive effects on important program-determined child and parenting outcomes, such as reducing abuse and neglect and improving child health and development;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) employ well-trained and competent staff, maintain high quality supervision, and show strong organizational capacity to implement such a program; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) establish appropriate linkages and referrals to other community resources and supports; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) includes expenditures for training, technical assistance, and evaluations related to the programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) PRIORITY FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS WITH STRONGEST EVIDENCE-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) IN GENERAL- The expenditures, described in paragraph (1), of a State for a fiscal year that are attributable to the cost of programs that do not adhere to a model of home visitation with the strongest evidence of effectiveness shall not be considered eligible expenditures for the fiscal year to the extent that the total of the expenditures exceeds the applicable percentage for the fiscal year of the allotment of the State under subsection (c) for the fiscal year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) APPLICABLE PERCENTAGE DEFINED- In subparagraph (A), the term ‘applicable percentage’ means, with respect to a fiscal year--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) 60 percent for fiscal year 2010;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) 55 percent for fiscal year 2011;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) 50 percent for fiscal year 2012;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) 45 percent for fiscal year 2013; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(v) 40 percent for fiscal year 2014.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(g) No Use of Other Federal Funds for State Match- A State to which a grant is made under this section may not expend any Federal funds to meet the State share of the cost of an eligible expenditure for which the State receives a payment under this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(h) Waiver Authority-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary may waive or modify the application of any provision of this section, other than subsection (b) or (f), to an Indian tribe if the failure to do so would impose an undue burden on the Indian tribe.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) SPECIAL RULE- An Indian tribe is deemed to meet the requirement of subsection (d) for purposes of subsections (c) and (e) if--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) the Secretary waives the requirement; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) the Secretary modifies the requirement, and the Indian tribe meets the modified requirement.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) State Reports- Each State to which a grant is made under this section shall submit to the Secretary an annual report on the progress made by the State in addressing the purposes of this section. Each such report shall include a description of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) the services delivered by the programs that received funds from the grant;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) the characteristics of each such program, including information on the service model used by the program and the performance of the program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) the characteristics of the providers of services through the program, including staff qualifications, work experience, and demographic characteristics;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) the characteristics of the recipients of services provided through the program, including the number of the recipients, the demographic characteristics of the recipients, and family retention;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(5) the annual cost of implementing the program, including the cost per family served under the program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(6) the outcomes experienced by recipients of services through the program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(7) the training and technical assistance provided to aid implementation of the program, and how the training and technical assistance contributed to the outcomes achieved through the program; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(8) the indicators and methods used to monitor whether the program is being implemented as designed.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(j) Evaluation-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall, by grant or contract, provide for the conduct of an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of home visitation programs receiving funds provided under this section, which shall examine the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) The effect of home visitation programs on child and parent outcomes, including child maltreatment, child health and development, school readiness, and links to community services.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) The effectiveness of home visitation programs on different populations, including the extent to which the ability of programs to improve outcomes varies across programs and populations.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) REPORTS TO THE CONGRESS-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) INTERIM REPORT- Within 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress an interim report on the evaluation conducted pursuant to paragraph (1).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) FINAL REPORT- Within 4 years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a final report on the evaluation conducted pursuant to paragraph (1).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(k) Annual Reports to the Congress- The Secretary shall submit annually to the Congress a report on the activities carried out using funds made available under this section, which shall include a description of the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) The high need communities targeted by States for programs carried out under this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) The service delivery models used in the programs receiving funds provided under this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) The characteristics of the programs, including--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) the qualifications and demographic characteristics of program staff; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) recipient characteristics including the number of families served, the demographic characteristics of the families served, and family retention and duration of services.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) The outcomes reported by the programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(5) The research-based instruction, materials, and activities being used in the activities funded under the grant.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(6) The training and technical activities, including on-going professional development, provided to the programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(7) The annual costs of implementing the programs, including the cost per family served under the programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(8) The indicators and methods used by States to monitor whether the programs are being been implemented as designed.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(l) Reservations of Funds- From the amounts appropriated for a fiscal year under subsection (m), the Secretary shall reserve--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) $10,000,000 to pay the cost of the evaluation provided for in subsection (k), and the provision to States of training and technical assistance, including the dissemination of best practices in early childhood home visitation; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) after making the reservation required by paragraph (1), an amount equal to 3 percent of the amount so appropriated, to pay for grants to Indian tribes under this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(m) Appropriations- Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there is appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) $400,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) $550,000,000 for fiscal year 2013; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(5) $700,000,000 for fiscal year 2014.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(n) Indian Tribes Treated as States- In this section, paragraphs (4), (5), and (6) of section 431(a) shall apply.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink