S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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4246
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
April 20, 2009
___________
Introduced by Sen. AUBERTINE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing
incremental funding for home visiting programs available to children
at risk of child abuse and neglect
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. Subdivisions 1, 2 and 3 of section 429 of the social
2 services law, subdivisions 1 and 2 as amended by chapter 141 of the laws
3 of 2000 and subdivision 3 as added by chapter 170 of the laws of 1994,
4 are amended and two new subdivisions 8 and 9 are added to read as
5 follows:
6 1. In accordance with a plan developed by the office of children and
7 family services [and approved by the director of the budget and within
8 the amounts which the director of the budget determines should be made
9 available therefor, such office], in conjunction with the department of
10 health, SUCH OFFICE is authorized to issue grants for home visiting
11 programs to prevent child abuse and maltreatment, enhance positive
12 parent child interactions, increase healthy outcomes for families and
13 empower families to develop and achieve their self-sufficiency goals. To
14 the extent that federal funds are used to support home visiting
15 programs, such programs must be operated in accordance with all applica-
16 ble federal laws and regulations. To the extent possible and appropri-
17 ate, funding for the home visiting program shall be coordinated with
18 other available funding to maximize the effective use of federal, state
19 and local moneys and to promote the program's purposes.
20 2. Each home visiting program funded under this section shall include,
21 but not be limited to, the following activities:
22 (a) providing screening of families in the targeted geographical area
23 upon the birth of a child and prenatally, if possible;
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00531-01-9
S. 4246 2
1 (b) engaging those expectant parents and families with an infant
2 determined to be at risk of child abuse or maltreatment and/or poor
3 health outcomes to participate in the home visiting program;
4 (c) providing home visits by nurses or by community workers under the
5 supervision of a health or social services professional to those at risk
6 expectant parents and families who choose to participate in the program;
7 (d) requiring the home visitors to:
8 (i) assist parents in learning about child development principles;
9 (ii) assist parents in accessing appropriate preventive health care
10 for their children and themselves; and
11 (iii) link the families to other supports and activities in the commu-
12 nity;
13 (e) determining the frequency of the home visiting services provided
14 to each participating family based on the family's needs;
15 (f) continuing home visits for a particular family MINIMALLY until the
16 child IS TWO YEARS OF AGE AND UP TO THE TIME THE CHILD enters school or
17 a head start program, when necessary; and
18 (g) assisting families to develop and obtain the necessary supports to
19 achieve their self-sufficiency goals.
20 3. A request for proposals shall be issued to solicit applications for
21 home visiting programs. Priority for funding shall be given to appli-
22 cants from communities identified as high need by such factors as pover-
23 ty rates, rates of adolescent pregnancy, rates of child abuse and
24 maltreatment, immunization rates and infant mortality rates AND PRIORITY
25 SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THOSE COUNTIES WHERE HOME VISITING PROGRAMS ARE NOT
26 CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.
27 8. FUNDS SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE PURPOSES OF PROVIDING HOME
28 VISITING PROGRAMS TO FAMILIES AT RISK OF CHILD ABUSE AND MALTREATMENT.
29 SUCH FUNDS SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE AS FOLLOWS: FOR THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND
30 TEN--TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN, THIRTY-FIVE MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND
31 DOLLARS; AND FOR THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN--TWO THOUSAND TWELVE,
32 FIFTY MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
33 9. THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, IN CONSULTATION WITH
34 THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SHALL PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO THE
35 GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE ON OR BEFORE JANUARY THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND
36 ELEVEN TO IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM OF HOME VISITING PROGRAMS INCLUDING, BUT
37 NOT LIMITED TO, HEALTHY FAMILIES, NURSE-FAMILY PARTNERSHIP, AND THE
38 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PROGRAM TO MEET THE NEEDS
39 OF ALL HIGH NEED AREAS ACROSS THE STATE.
40 S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.