IB 
Union Calendar No. 559 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2343 
[Report No. 110–818, Part I] 
To expand quality programs of early childhood home visitation that increase 
school readiness, child abuse and neglect prevention, and early identifica-
tion of developmental and health delays, including potential mental health 
concerns, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 16, 2007 
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois (for himself and Mr. PLATTS) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and 
in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
AUGUST 1, 2008 
Reported from the Committee on Education and Labor with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
AUGUST 1, 2008 
Referral to the Committee on Armed Services extended for a period ending 
not later than September 12, 2008 
SEPTEMBER 12, 2008 
Referral to the Committee on Armed Services extended for a period ending 
not later than September 19, 2008 
SEPTEMBER 19, 2008 
Additional sponsors: Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. EDWARDS, Mr. BISHOP 
of Georgia, Mr. CLAY, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. HULSHOF, 
Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. PRICE of 
North Carolina, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. HINOJOSA, 
Mr. HONDA, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. MILLER of North Carolina, Mr. 
PETRI, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. CARNAHAN, Ms. WOOLSEY, 
Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California, Mr. MICHAUD, Ms. 
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DELAURO, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. SOUDER, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New 
York, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
EHLERS, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. HOOLEY, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. ALLEN, Ms. 
SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. HARE, Mr. ALTMIRE, Mr. COOPER, Mr. DOGGETT, 
Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. HINCHEY, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. KEN-
NEDY, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. KUHL of New York, Mr. RUSH, Mr. 
MCDERMOTT, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. EMAN-
UEL, Mr. BERRY, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. RENZI, Mr. LOEBSACK, Ms. HIRONO, 
Mr. WAMP, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. HOLT, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. KIL-
DEE, Mr. WU, Mr. MURTHA, and Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin 
SEPTEMBER 19, 2008 
Committee on Armed Services discharged; committed to the Committee of the 
Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 16, 2007] 
A BILL 
To expand quality programs of early childhood home visita-
tion that increase school readiness, child abuse and ne-
glect prevention, and early identification of developmental 
and health delays, including potential mental health con-
cerns, 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 ‘‘Education Begins at 
Home Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(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; 
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(2) parent education and family support 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 develop-
ment 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 communities and schools; and 
(5) early childhood home visitation leads to posi-
tive outcomes for children and families, including 
readiness for school, improved child health and devel-
opment, positive parenting practices, and reductions 
in child maltreatment. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol-
lows: 
(1) To enable States, Indian tribes, tribal orga-
nizations, territories, or possessions to deliver quality 
programs of early childhood home visitation to preg-
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nant women and parents of children from birth until 
entry into kindergarten in order to promote positive 
outcomes for children and families including: readi-
ness for school, improved child health and develop-
ment, positive parenting practices, reductions in child 
maltreatment, and enhanced parenting abilities to 
support their children’s optimal cognitive, language, 
social-emotional, and physical development. 
(2) To expand quality programs of early child-
hood home visitation so as to more effectively reach 
and serve families with English language learners. 
(3) To expand quality programs of early child-
hood home visitation so as to more effectively reach 
and serve families serving in the military. 
(4) To establish a public education and aware-
ness campaign concerning the importance of the prop-
er care of infants and young children. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ELIGIBLE FAMILY.—The term ‘‘eligible fam-
ily’’ means— 
(A) a woman who is pregnant and the fa-
ther of the child if the father is available; or 
(B) a parent or primary caregiver of a 
child under the age of entry into kindergarten, 
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including grandparents or other relatives of the 
child, and foster parents (including kinship care-
givers), who are serving as the primary care-
giver, including a noncustodial parent who has 
an on-going relationship with and, at times, pro-
vides physical care for such child. 
(2) ENGLISH
LANGUAGE
LEARNER.—The term 
‘‘English language learner’’, used with respect to an 
individual, means an individual— 
(A) who— 
(i) was not born in the United States 
or whose native language is a language 
other than English; 
(ii)(I) is a Native American (as de-
fined in section 9101 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7801)), an Alaska Native, or a na-
tive resident of an outlying area (as defined 
in such section 9101); and 
(II) comes from an environment where 
a language other than English has had a 
significant impact on the individual’s level 
of English language proficiency; or 
(iii) is migratory, whose native lan-
guage is a language other than English, and 
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who comes from an environment where a 
language other than English is dominant; 
and 
(B) whose difficulties in speaking or under-
standing the English language may be sufficient 
to deny such individual— 
(i) the ability to successfully achieve in 
a classroom in which the language of in-
struction is English; or 
(ii) the opportunity to participate 
fully in society. 
(3) HOME VISITATION.—The term ‘‘home visita-
tion’’ 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. 
(4) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 4(e) of the In-
dian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 450b). 
(5) SECRETARY.—Except as provided in section 
6, the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services. 
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(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of the 
50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico. 
(7) TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS.—The term 
‘‘territories and possessions’’ shall include American 
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands. 
(8) TRIBAL
ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘tribal 
organization’’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 4(l) of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b). 
SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITATION. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Education, shall make grants to 
States, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, territories and 
possessions to enable States, Indian tribes, tribal organiza-
tions, territories and possessions to establish or expand 
quality programs of early childhood home visitation as 
specified under subsection (e). Each grant shall consist of 
the allotment determined 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 
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this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall re-
serve— 
(A) 3 percent for an independent evaluation 
of the activities carried out under this Act, as 
specified in section 7; 
(B) not more than 3 percent for Federal ad-
ministrative costs; 
(C) not more than 2 percent of the funds 
appropriated for any fiscal year for payments to 
Indian tribes or tribal organizations with an ap-
proved application under this section; 
(D) not more than 1⁄2 of 1 percent of the 
funds appropriated for any fiscal year for pay-
ments to territories and possessions with an ap-
proved application under this section; and 
(E) 2 percent for training and technical as-
sistance for States. 
(2) STATE ALLOTMENTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD 
HOME VISITATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with sub-
paragraph (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 
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support early childhood home visitation pro-
grams in accordance with this section. 
(B) DETERMINATION
OF
STATE
ALLOT-
MENTS.—The Secretary shall allot the amount 
made available under subparagraph (A) for a 
fiscal year among the eligible States in propor-
tion to the number of children, aged from birth 
through 5 years from families whose income is 
below the poverty line, who reside within the 
State, compared to the number of such individ-
uals who reside in all such States for that fiscal 
year. 
(3) PAYMENTS TO TRIBES AND TERRITORIES.— 
(A) Out of the funds reserved under para-
graph (1)(C), the Secretary shall provide funds 
to each Indian tribe or tribal organization with 
an approved application under this section in 
accordance with the respective needs described in 
that application. 
(B) Out of the funds reserved under para-
graph (1)(D), the Secretary shall provide funds 
to each territory or possession with an approved 
application under this section in accordance 
with the respective needs described in that appli-
cation. 
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(4) APPLICATIONS
OF
INDIAN
TRIBES, TRIBAL 
ORGANIZATIONS, TERRITORIES, OR POSSESSIONS.— 
(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the Sec-
retary shall approve an application of an Indian 
tribe, tribal organization, territory, or possession 
based on the quality of the application. 
(B) The Secretary may exempt an applica-
tion submitted by an Indian tribe, tribal organi-
zation, territory, or possession from any require-
ment of this section that the Secretary deter-
mines would be inappropriate to apply taking 
into account the resources, needs, and other cir-
cumstances of the Indian tribe, tribal organiza-
tion territory, or possession with the exception of 
the provision of quality early childhood home 
visitation and participation in the independent 
evaluation outlined in section 7. 
(5) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this section $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2010 
through 2013. 
(c) GRANT APPLICATIONS.—A State, Indian tribe, 
tribal organization, territory, or possession that desires to 
receive a grant under this section shall submit an applica-
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tion to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may require. 
For the purposes of this subsection, the term ‘‘State’’ in-
cludes Indian tribes, tribal organizations, territories, or 
possessions. The application shall contain the following in-
formation: 
(1) 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. 
(2) An assurance that the State will reserve 3 
percent of such grant for evaluation and will partici-
pate in the independent evaluation under section 7. 
(3) An assurance that the State will reserve 10 
percent of the grant funds for training and technical 
assistance to programs of early childhood home visita-
tion. 
(4) An assurance that the State will authorize 
child care resource and referral agencies to refer par-
ents seeking home visitation services. 
(5) An assurance that in supporting early child-
hood home visitation programs under this section the 
State shall identify and prioritize serving commu-
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nities that are in high need of such services, such as 
communities with— 
(A) low student achievement; 
(B) high rates of teen pregnancy; 
(C) high proportions of low income families; 
(D) high incidences of child abuse; 
(E) high rates of children with develop-
mental delays or disabilities; 
(F) large concentrations of individuals who 
are English language learners; 
(G) large concentrations of individuals cur-
rently serving in the Armed Forces; and 
(H) large concentrations of individuals who 
formerly served in the Armed Forces. 
(6) The results of a statewide needs assessment 
that describes— 
(A) the quality and capacity of existing 
programs of early childhood home visitation in 
the State; 
(B) the number and types of eligible fami-
lies who are receiving services under such pro-
grams; and 
(C) the gaps in early childhood home visita-
tion in the State, including identification of 
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communities that are in high need of such serv-
ices. 
(7) A State plan containing the following: 
(A) A description of the State’s plan to 
prioritize establishing or expanding high quality 
programs of early childhood home visitation pro-
grams in communities that are in high need of 
such programs. 
(B) A description of the high quality pro-
grams of early childhood home visitation that 
will be supported by a grant under this section. 
(C) A description of how the proposed pro-
gram of early childhood home visitation will 
promote positive parenting skills and children’s 
early learning and development. 
(D) A description of how the proposed pro-
gram of early childhood home visitation will in-
corporate the authorized activities described in 
subsection (e). 
(E) 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 
programs to ensure more eligible families are 
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being served and are getting the most appro-
priate services to meet their needs. 
(F) How the lead State agency will promote 
collaboration among a broad range of child- and 
family-serving programs, including— 
(i) early childhood home visitation 
programs, including targeted grants award-
ed under sections 5 and 6; 
(ii) early childhood care and education 
programs; 
(iii) activities carried out under part 
C of the Individuals with Disabilities Edu-
cation Act (20 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) and sec-
tion 619 of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419); 
(iv) child abuse prevention and treat-
ment programs, and State and local child 
protection systems; 
(v) Medicaid and State Children’s 
Health Insurance programs; 
(vi) nutrition assistance programs; 
(vii) parental substance abuse and 
mental health prevention and treatment 
programs; 
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(viii) domestic and family violence 
prevention programs; 
(ix) child support enforcement pro-
grams; 
(x) workforce development programs; 
(xi) the State Temporary Assistance to 
Needy Families program; 
(xii) early childhood intervention pro-
grams, such as mental health prevention 
and treatment services; 
(xiii) State and local educational 
agencies; and 
(xiv) other appropriate child-serving 
programs in the State in order to facilitate 
the coordinated delivery of services for eligi-
ble families. 
(G) How the lead State agency will provide 
for the training and technical assistance to pro-
grams of early childhood home visitation in-
volved in activities under this section to more ef-
fectively meet the needs of the eligible families 
served, with sensitivity to cultural variations in 
attitudes toward formal support services and 
parenting norms. 
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(H) How the lead State agency will evalu-
ate the activities supported under this section in 
order to assess outcomes including, but not lim-
ited to— 
(i) parental outcomes related to child 
health and development, including parent 
knowledge of early learning and develop-
ment; 
(ii) child health, cognitive, language, 
social-emotional, and physical development; 
(iii) child maltreatment; 
(iv) school readiness; and 
(v) links to community services. 
(I) A description of how the lead State 
agency will ensure home visitation programs 
prioritize outreach activities to target fathers 
and include fathers in the program where safe 
and appropriate. 
(J) A description of how the lead State 
agency will ensure that services are made avail-
able under the program to grandparents, other 
relatives or foster parents, of a child from birth 
through age 5 who serve as the primary care-
giver of the child. 
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(K) Such other information as the Secretary 
may require. 
(d) APPROVAL OF APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall approve 
an application under this section based on the rec-
ommendations of a peer review panel, as described in 
paragraph (2). 
(2) PEER
REVIEW
PANEL.—The peer review 
panel shall include individuals with experience in 
varying models of home visitation, including not 
fewer 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 expertise imple-
menting 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 admin-
istering public or private (including community- 
based) child maltreatment prevention programs. 
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