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.

Summary: Early Support for Families Act - Amends part B (Child and Family Services) of title IV of the Social Security Act to authorize grants to states for quality home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting children.

Specifies the use of grants for high quality programs with well-trained and competent staff that 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.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Early Support for Families Act''.

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:

       ``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.
    ``(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:
            ``(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.
            ``(2) Results of needs assessment.--The results of a 
        statewide needs assessment that describes--
                    ``(A) the number, quality, and capacity of home 
                visitation programs for families with young children 
                and families expecting children in the State;
                    ``(B) the number and types of eligible families who 
                are receiving services under the programs;
                    ``(C) the sources and amount of funding provided to 
                the programs;
                    ``(D) the gaps in early childhood home visitation 
                in the State, including identification of communities 
                that are in high need of the services; and
                    ``(E) training and technical assistance activities 
                designed to achieve or support the goals of the 
                programs.
            ``(3) Assurances.--Assurances from the State that--
                    ``(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;
                    ``(B) the State will reserve 5 percent of the grant 
                funds for training and technical assistance to the home 
                visitation programs using such funds;
                    ``(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;
                    ``(D) home visitation programs supported using such 
                funds will, when appropriate, provide referrals to 
                other programs serving children and families; and
                    ``(E) the State will comply with subsection (i), 
                and cooperate with any evaluation conducted under 
                subsection (j).
            ``(4) Other information.--Such other information as the 
        Secretary may require.
    ``(c) Allotments.--
            ``(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.
            ``(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.
            ``(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.
    ``(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.
    ``(e) Payment of Grant.--
            ``(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--
                    ``(A) the reimbursable percentage of the eligible 
                expenditures of the State for the fiscal year; or
                    ``(B) the amount allotted to the State under 
                subsection (c) for the fiscal year.
            ``(2) Reimbursable percentage defined.--In paragraph (1), 
        the term `reimbursable percentage' means, with respect to a 
        fiscal year--
                    ``(A) 85 percent, in the case of fiscal year 2010;
                    ``(B) 80 percent, in the case of fiscal year 2011; 
                or
                    ``(C) 75 percent, in the case of fiscal year 2012 
                and any succeeding fiscal year.
    ``(f) Eligible Expenditures.--
            ``(1) In general.--In this section, the term `eligible 
        expenditures'--
                    ``(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--
                            ``(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;
                            ``(ii) employ well-trained and competent 
                        staff, maintain high quality supervision, and 
                        show strong organizational capacity to 
                        implement such a program; and
                            ``(iii) establish appropriate linkages and 
                        referrals to other community resources and 
                        supports; and
                    ``(B) includes expenditures for training, technical 
                assistance, and evaluations related to the programs.
            ``(2) Priority funding for programs with strongest 
        evidence.--
                    ``(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.
                    ``(B) Applicable percentage defined.--In 
                subparagraph (A), the term `applicable percentage' 
                means, with respect to a fiscal year--
                            ``(i) 60 percent for fiscal year 2010;
                            ``(ii) 55 percent for fiscal year 2011;
                            ``(iii) 50 percent for fiscal year 2012;
                            ``(iv) 45 percent for fiscal year 2013; or
                            ``(v) 40 percent for fiscal year 2014.
    ``(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.
    ``(h) Waiver Authority.--
            ``(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.
            ``(2) Special rule.--An Indian tribe is deemed to meet the 
        requirement of subsection (d) for purposes of subsections (c) 
        and (e) if--
                    ``(A) the Secretary waives the requirement; or
                    ``(B) the Secretary modifies the requirement, and 
                the Indian tribe meets the modified requirement.
    ``(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--
            ``(1) the services delivered by the programs that received 
        funds from the grant;
            ``(2) the characteristics of each such program, including 
        information on the service model used by the program and the 
        performance of the program;
            ``(3) the characteristics of the providers of services 
        through the program, including staff qualifications, work 
        experience, and demographic characteristics;
            ``(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;
            ``(5) the annual cost of implementing the program, 
        including the cost per family served under the program;
            ``(6) the outcomes experienced by recipients of services 
        through the program;
            ``(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; and
            ``(8) the indicators and methods used to monitor whether 
        the program is being implemented as designed.
    ``(j) Evaluation.--
            ``(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:
                    ``(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.
                    ``(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.
            ``(2) Reports to the congress.--
                    ``(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).
                    ``(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).
    ``(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:
            ``(1) The high need communities targeted by States for 
        programs carried out under this section.
            ``(2) The service delivery models used in the programs 
        receiving funds provided under this section.
            ``(3) The characteristics of the programs, including--
                    ``(A) the qualifications and demographic 
                characteristics of program staff; and
                    ``(B) recipient characteristics including the 
                number of families served, the demographic 
                characteristics of the families served, and family 
                retention and duration of services.
            ``(4) The outcomes reported by the programs.
            ``(5) The research-based instruction, materials, and 
        activities being used in the activities funded under the grant.
            ``(6) The training and technical activities, including on-
        going professional development, provided to the programs.
            ``(7) The annual costs of implementing the programs, 
        including the cost per family served under the programs.
            ``(8) The indicators and methods used by States to monitor 
        whether the programs are being been implemented as designed.
    ``(l) Reservations of Funds.--From the amounts appropriated for a 
fiscal year under subsection (m), the Secretary shall reserve--
            ``(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; and
            ``(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.
    ``(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--
            ``(1) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
            ``(2) $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
            ``(3) $400,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
            ``(4) $550,000,000 for fiscal year 2013; and
            ``(5) $700,000,000 for fiscal year 2014.
    ``(n) Indian Tribes Treated as States.--In this section, paragraphs 
(4), (5), and (6) of section 431(a) shall apply.''.