Early Childhood Mental Health Support Act
Bill: H.R.6509 | Sponsor: Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark (D-CA)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Early Childhood Mental Health Support Act
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to identify and review evidence-based interventions, best practices, curricula, and staff trainings in Head Start programs that improve the behavioral health of children and support staff wellness.
HHS must (1) award grants to participating Head Start agencies to implement the interventions, and (2) evaluate the implementation of the interventions.
The bill also permits HHS to fund five best practice centers in universities to prepare future Head Start agencies and staff to deliver the interventions.

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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Early Childhood Mental Health 
Support Act''.

SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION OF EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS IN HEAD START 
              PROGRAMS.

    (a) Interventions That Improve Social-Emotional and Behavioral 
Health of Children.--
            (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 support healthy 
                social, emotional, or cognitive development for 
                children in Head Start or Early Head Start programs, 
                with an empirical or theoretical relationship to later 
                mental health or substance abuse outcomes;
                    (C) involve changes to center-wide policies or 
                practices, or other services and supports offered in 
                conjunction with Head Start programs or Early Head 
                Start centers, including services provided to adults or 
                families (with or without a child present) for the 
                benefit of the children;
                    (D) demonstrate effectiveness across racial, 
                ethnic, and geographic populations or demonstrate the 
                capacity to be adapted to be effective across 
                populations;
                    (E) offer a tiered approach to addressing need, 
                including--
                            (i) universal interventions for all 
                        children;
                            (ii) selected prevention for children 
                        demonstrating increased need; and
                            (iii) indicated prevention for children 
                        demonstrating substantial need;
                    (F) incorporate trauma-informed care approaches; or
                    (G) have a proven record of improving early 
                childhood and social emotional development.
    (b) Interventions That Support Staff Wellness.--In carrying out 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall identify and review interventions, 
best practices, curricula, and staff trainings that support staff 
wellness and self-care.
    (c) Credentials.--In carrying out subsections (a) and (b), the 
Secretary, in consultation with relevant experts, shall determine the 
appropriate credentials for individuals who deliver the interventions, 
best practices, curricula, 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, academics, 
        think tanks, and nonprofit organizations with expertise in 
        early childhood, mental health, and trauma-informed care, 
        including the National Institute of Mental Health, the 
        Administration for Children 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 subsections (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 subsections 
        (a) and (b) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
        of this Act; and
            (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 awarded to grantees representing a 
diversity of geographic areas across the United States, including 
urban, suburban, and rural areas.

SEC. 4. EVALUATING IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERVENTIONS 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--
            (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 determination required 
        by paragraph (1);
            (3) ensure that such method includes competency and testing 
        approaches, performance or outcome measures, or any other 
        methods deemed appropriate by the Assistant Secretary, taking 
        into consideration 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 necessary 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
            (2) solicit public input on--
                    (A) the design of the method developed pursuant to 
                subsection (a)(2); and
                    (B) the resulting findings and conclusions.
    (c) Timing.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall--
            (1) develop the method required by subsection (a)(2) and 
        make the initial determination required by subsection (a)(1) 
        not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act; 
        and
            (2) update such method and determination at least every 5 
        years.

SEC. 5. IMPLEMENTING THE EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR HEAD START PROGRAMS.

    (a) Evaluation Method.--The Assistant Secretary for the 
Administration for Children and Families shall implement the evaluation 
method developed pursuant to section 4(a) in the Head Start program as 
a voluntary mechanism for interested Head Start programs or Early Head 
Start centers to evaluate the extent to which such programs or centers 
have effectively implemented the interventions, best practices, 
curricula, and staff trainings identified pursuant to section 2, with 
minimal burden or disruption to programs and centers interested in 
participating.
    (b) Technical Assistance.--The Assistant Secretary for the 
Administration for Children and Families shall provide guidance, tools, 
resources, and technical assistance to grantees for implementing and 
evaluating interventions, best practices, curricula, and staff 
trainings identified pursuant to section 2 and optimizing the 
performance of such grantees on the annual evaluations.

SEC. 6. BEST PRACTICE CENTERS.

    The Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and 
Families may fund up to 5 Best Practice Centers in Early Childhood 
Training in universities and colleges to prepare future Head Start 
agencies and staff able to deliver the interventions, best practices, 
curricula, and staff trainings identified pursuant to section 2.

SEC. 7. FUNDING.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $100,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2023 through 
2032 for carrying out sections 3(b), 4, 6, and 7.
    (b) Availability of Appropriations.--Amounts authorized to be 
appropriated by subsection (a) are authorized to remain available until 
expended.
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