I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6509 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to identify, review, 
and implement effective interventions in Head Start programs, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2022 
Mr. DESAULNIER (for himself, Ms. MATSUI, and Ms. PRESSLEY) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
Labor 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
identify, review, and implement effective interventions 
in Head Start programs, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Early Childhood Men-
tal Health Support Act’’. 
SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION OF EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS IN 
HEAD START PROGRAMS. 
(a) INTERVENTIONS THAT IMPROVE SOCIAL-EMO-
TIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services acting through the Director for the 
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (in this 
section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall identify 
and review interventions, best practices, curricula, 
and staff trainings— 
(A) that improve the behavioral health of 
children; and 
(B) that are evidence based. 
(2) FOCUS.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
Secretary shall focus on interventions, best practices, 
curricula, and staff trainings that— 
(A) can be delivered by a provider or other 
staff member in or associated with a Head 
Start program or Early Head Start center; 
(B) are demonstrated to improve or sup-
port healthy social, emotional, or cognitive de-
velopment for children in Head Start or Early 
Head Start programs, with an empirical or the-
oretical relationship to later mental health or 
substance abuse outcomes; 
(C) involve changes to center-wide policies 
or practices, or other services and supports of-
fered in conjunction with Head Start programs 
or Early Head Start centers, including services 
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provided to adults or families (with or without 
a child present) for the benefit of the children; 
(D) demonstrate effectiveness across ra-
cial, ethnic, and geographic populations or dem-
onstrate the capacity to be adapted to be effec-
tive across populations; 
(E) offer a tiered approach to addressing 
need, including— 
(i) universal interventions for all chil-
dren; 
(ii) selected prevention for children 
demonstrating increased need; and 
(iii) indicated prevention for children 
demonstrating substantial need; 
(F) incorporate trauma-informed care ap-
proaches; or 
(G) have a proven record of improving 
early childhood and social emotional develop-
ment. 
(b) 
INTERVENTIONS
THAT
SUPPORT
STAFF 
WELLNESS.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall identify and review interventions, best practices, cur-
ricula, and staff trainings that support staff wellness and 
self-care. 
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(c) CREDENTIALS.—In carrying out subsections (a) 
and (b), the Secretary, in consultation with relevant ex-
perts, shall determine the appropriate credentials for indi-
viduals who deliver the interventions, best practices, cur-
ricula, and staff trainings identified by the Secretary. 
(d) CONSULTATION; PUBLIC INPUT.—In carrying out 
this section, the Secretary shall— 
(1) consult with relevant agencies, experts, aca-
demics, think tanks, and nonprofit organizations 
with expertise in early childhood, mental health, and 
trauma-informed care, including the National Insti-
tute of Mental Health, the Administration for Chil-
dren and Families, the Substance Abuse and Mental 
Health Services Administration, the Institute of 
Education Sciences, and the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention; and 
(2) solicit public input on— 
(A) the design of the reviews under sub-
sections (a) and (b); and 
(B) the findings and conclusions resulting 
from such reviews. 
(e) TIMING.—The Secretary shall— 
(1) complete the initial reviews required by sub-
sections (a) and (b) not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act; and 
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(2) update such reviews and the findings and 
conclusions therefrom at least every 5 years. 
(f) REPORTING.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, 
the Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress on 
the results of implementing this section. 
SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTING THE INTERVENTIONS IN HEAD 
START PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary for the 
Administration for Children and Families shall award 
grants to participating Head Start agencies to implement 
the interventions, best practices, curricula, and staff 
trainings that are identified pursuant to section 2. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The Assistant Secretary shall 
ensure that grants awarded under this section are award-
ed to grantees representing a diversity of geographic areas 
across the United States, including urban, suburban, and 
rural areas. 
SEC. 4. EVALUATING IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERVEN-
TIONS IN HEAD START PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary 
for Planning and Evaluation and in coordination with the 
Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children 
and Families, shall— 
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(1) determine whether the interventions, best 
practices, curricula, and staff trainings implemented 
pursuant to section 3— 
(A) are effectively implemented pursuant 
to section 3 and other relevant provisions of law 
such that the anticipated effect sizes of the 
interventions, best practices, curricula, and 
staff trainings are achieved; and 
(B) yield long-term savings; 
(2) develop a method for making the determina-
tion required by paragraph (1); 
(3) ensure that such method includes com-
petency and testing approaches, performance or out-
come measures, or any other methods deemed appro-
priate by the Assistant Secretary, taking into consid-
eration existing monitoring components of the Head 
Start and Early Head Start programs; and 
(4) the Assistant Secretaries shall solicit public 
input on the design, findings, and conclusions of this 
process and shall consider whether updates are nec-
essary at least every 5 years. 
(b) PROCESS.—In carrying out subsection (a), the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services shall— 
(1) conduct any research and evaluation studies 
needed; and 
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