Bill Text: DE SCR50 | 2021-2022 | 151st General Assembly | Draft
Bill Title: Directing The Department Of Health And Social Services To Produce An Annual Report On The Status Of Delaware's Home Visiting Programs.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-2)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-06-29 - Passed In House by Voice Vote [SCR50 Detail]
Download: Delaware-2021-SCR50-Draft.html
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SPONSOR: |
Sen. Gay & Rep. Heffernan |
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Sens. Ennis, Hansen, Hocker, Sturgeon; Reps. Baumbach, Briggs King, S. Moore, K. Williams |
DELAWARE STATE SENATE
151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 50
DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO PRODUCE AN ANNUAL REPORT ON THE STATUS OF DELAWARE'S HOME VISITING PROGRAMS.
WHEREAS, decades of program evaluation on home visiting programs have demonstrated improved outcomes in maternal and child health, child development, parenting, school performance, and overall familial health; and
WHEREAS, home visiting has been shown to reduce child maltreatment, juvenile delinquency, family violence, and future criminal behavior, providing a strong return on investment both financially and for the greater community; and
WHEREAS, Delaware currently has four active home visiting programs which are delivered in partnership with community-based organizations and school districts; and
WHEREAS, Early Head Start programs include home visits designed to nurture healthy attachments between parent (or caregiver) and child and encompass the full range of a family’s needs through a child’s third birthday; and
WHEREAS, Healthy Families America is a home visiting program offered at no cost to those who qualify which recognizes and develops a family’s strengths and provides guidance, information, and resources to address any challenges, prenatally through a child’s third birthday; and
WHEREAS, Nurse Family Partnership allows trained nurses to regularly visit first-time expecting mothers from early pregnancy through the child’s second birthday to provide trusted advice and instill confidence in a mother’s ability to appropriately care for her child; and
WHEREAS, Parents as Teachers provides home visits to support mothers with increased knowledge from pregnancy through a child’s kindergarten years; and
WHEREAS, evidence-based home visiting is one of the most impactful interventions for pregnant women, young children, and their families.
NOW THEREFORE:
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 151 st General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the Department of Health and Social Services is directed to produce an annual report to the Governor, the Delaware State Senate, the Delaware State House of Representatives, the General Assembly Kids’ Caucus, and the Delaware Early Childhood Council by December 1 of each year.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health and Social Services will create this report in consultation with the Department of Education and the Home Visiting Community Advisory Board.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report is to include a summary of all Evidence-Based Home Visiting programs including a summary of Delaware Evidence-Based Home Visiting Models and their operating agencies and funding streams, fidelity adherence to the models and methods of delivery, geographic reach of each program, demographic and utilization data for families served, demographics of the workforce, and an analysis of performance measures, as mutually agreed upon.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report must include a section addressing specific challenges to delivery of services which is to be based on needs assessments, data submission, and staff and family surveys.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that recommendations for improvement should include issues around financing the programs, recruitment and retention of staff and families, strategies to support equitable access and capacity to meet community need, current research on best practices in delivery of services, assessment of potential resources for families to access continued services as a child ages, additional performance outcome and data collection strategies, and family engagement techniques.
SYNOPSIS
This Senate Concurrent Resolution establishes the purpose and protocol for the creation of an annual report on home visiting programs in Delaware. The report is to be prepared by the Department of Health and Social Services in consultation with the Department of Education and the Delaware Home Visiting Community Advisory Board for review by the Governor, the Delaware State Senate, the Delaware State House of Representatives, the Delaware Kids' Caucus, and the Delaware Early Childhood Council no later than December 1 of each year, and is to include a summary of current practices and challenges, as well as program recommendations.
Author: Senator Gay
