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CWLA 2008 Children's Legislative Agenda
Home Visiting Programs
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Action
- Cosponsor and pass the Education Begins at Home Act.
(S.667 and HR2343)
History
- Home visitation programs refer to model programs that
provide in-home visits to targeted vulnerable or new
families. Home visitation programs-either stand-alone
programs or center-based programs-serve at least
400,000 children annually between ages 0 and 5. 1 Eligible
families may receive services as early as the prenatal
stage. Because a child's early years are the most critical
for optimal development and provide a foundation for
success in school and life, home visiting can make a lifetime
of difference. 2 Nurses, professionals, or other trained
community members conduct home visits on a weekly,
bimonthly, or monthly basis. Program goals include an
increase in positive parenting practices, an improvement
in the health of the entire family, an increase in the family's
ability to be self-sufficient, and enhanced school readiness
for the children.
Quality early childhood home visitation programs lead to
many positive outcomes for children and families, including
a reduction in child maltreatment. Annual data indicates
that 40% of the nearly 900,000 children who have been
substantiated as abused and neglected, but not removed
from the home, never receive follow-up services. 3 More
widely available and implemented home visitation could
help address this drastic shortcoming.
Home visitation services stabilize at-risk families by
significantly affecting factors directly linked to future
abuse and neglect. Research shows that families who
receive at least 15 home visits have less perceived stress
and maternal depression, while also expressing higher levels
of paternal competence. 4 Home visitation programs may
also reduce the disproportionality or overrepresentation of
children and families of color, while improving outcomes
for these families.
Senator Christopher Bond (R-MO) first began promoting
home visiting when, as Missouri's governor, he signed the
Early Childhood Education Act of 1984. This legislation
helped expand the Parents as Teachers (PAT) programs in
all state school districts. As the PAT model spread, it was
later included in the reauthorization of the federal
Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
PAT joins several other model programs used by states
across the country. States have decided to follow these different
models depending on local needs and preferences.
Other home visitation programs include Nurse-Family
Partnership (NFP), Healthy Families America, Early Head
Start, Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters
(HIPPY), and the Parent-Child Home Program.
In September 2006, the U.S. House Subcommittee on
Education Reform of the Committee on Education and
Workforce held the first hearing on this legislation,
Perspectives on Early Childhood Home Visitation Programs.
The hearing was a bipartisan effort to highlight the costeffectiveness
and positive long-term social impact of home
visiting programs.
Legislation
Senator Bond introduced home visiting legislation-the
Education Begins at Home Act (S. 667)-in the 108th,
109th, and again in the current 110th Congress.
Representative Danny Davis (D-IL) introduced a companion
bill in the House of Representatives in the 109th Congress,
and again in the 110th Congress (H.R. 2343). Both bills
have bipartisan support. Under the legislation, the
Department of Health and Human Services would collaborate
with the Department of Education to make grants available
to all 50 states over a three-year period, authorizing
$400 million for states to implement home visiting pro-
grams. An additional $50 million would be authorized over
a three-year period for local partnerships that create or
implement home visiting programs targeted to Englishlanguage
learning families. Finally, an additional $50 million
would be targeted to reach military families through
the Department of Defense. The legislation also seeks to
strengthen the home visitation components of the Early
Head Start program.
Under the legislation, each governor would designate a
lead state agency to oversee and implement the state program.
The states can use their grants to supplement-but
not replace-current state funding. The legislation does not
dictate which, or how many, home visiting models may be
used. If a state currently lacks a home visitation program,
the funds can be used to develop a program. A state's grant
funding award would be based on the number of children
age 5 and younger living in the state. In the Senate bill, no
state would receive more than $20 million a year. Applying
states would submit a plan outlining their efforts to collaborate
and coordinate among existing and new programs.
Nevertheless, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
(CAPTA) FY 2008 funding for discretionary grants designated
an additional $10 million for home visitation programs.
According to the funding agreement, this additional funding
will support "a range of home visitation program that have
met high evidentiary standards."
Key Facts
- In 2005, more than 3 million cases of child abuse and neglect
were reported and referred for investigation to state
and local child protective service agencies because family
members, professionals, or other citizens were concerned
about their safety and well-being. After follow-up assessments,
officials substantiated 899,000 of these cases. 5
- Of the 899,000 children determined to be abused or
neglected, 60% (542,996) received follow-up services.
In other words, 40% of child victims did not receive
follow-up services. 6
- Of the estimated 1,460 child deaths in 2005, 76.6% of
child victims were younger than age 4. Another 13.4%
were between the ages of 4 and 7. 7
- Of the perpetrators of child maltreatment, 76.6%
were parents. 8
- A study of the Missouri-based PAT home visiting program
examined the children enrolled in the program and found
that by age 3, they were significantly more advanced in
language, problem-solving, and intellectual and social
abilities than children in comparable groups. 9
- A study of the Nurse-Family Partnership showed a 79%
reduction in child maltreatment among at-risk families
compared to other families in a control group. That same
study also indicated a number of other benefits in the
areas of health, employment, and behavior. 10
- Healthy Families America exists in more than 450 communities;
Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool
Youngsters is in 167 sites in 26 states; the Parent-Child
Home Program has 137 sites nationally and 10 sites
internationally; Early Head Start serves more than
62,000 children in 7,000 sites; and Parents as Teachers
(PAT) is located in all 50 states and serves more than
400,000 children. 11
- Research shows that participating children have
improved rates of early literacy, language development,
problem-solving, and social awareness. These children
also demonstrate higher rates of school attendance and
scores on achievement and standardized tests. 12
- Studies show that families who receive home visiting are
more likely to have health insurance, seek prenatal and
wellness care, and have their children immunized. 13
- Research has shown that by reducing abuse and neglect,
home visitation programs can reduce juvenile
delinquency and ultimately save taxpayers almost $53
billion annually. 14
Sources
- Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. (2006). Challenges to building and sustaining effective home visitation programs: Lessons learned from states. . Chicago, IL: Author. back
- Daro, D., Howard, E., Tobin, J., & Hardin, A. (2005). Welcome home and early start: An assessment of program quality and outcomes. Available online. Chicago, IL: Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. back
- Administration on Children Youth and Families. (2007). Child maltreatment 2005. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. back
- Daro, D., Howard, E., Tobin, J., & Hardin, A. (2005). Welcome home and early start: an assessment of program quality and outcomes. Available online. Chicago, IL: Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. back
- Administration on Children Youth and Families. (2007). Child maltreatment 2005. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. back
- Ibid. back
- Ibid. back
- Ibid. back
- Pfannenstiel, J., & Setlzer, D. (1985). Evaluation report: New parents as teachers project. Overland Park, KS: Research and Training Associates. back
- Nurse-Family Partnership. (2005) Factsheet. Available online. Denver, CO: Author. back
- Prevent Child Abuse America. (2006). Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs. Chicago, IL: Author. back
- Administration for Children and Families. (2003). Research to practice: Early Head Start home-based services. Washington, DC: Author. back
- Berkenes, J.P. (2001). HOPES healthy families Iowa FY 2001 services report. Great Falls, VA: Klagholz & Associates. back
- Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. (2003). New hope for preventing child abuse and neglect: Proven solution to save lives and to prevent future crime. Washington, DC: Author. back
CWLA Contact
Branden McLeod
703/412-2431
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