HF 3600

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/24/2016 02:27pm

A bill for an act
relating to health; modifying criteria for family home visiting programs funded
through grants administered by the commissioner of health; appropriating
money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 145A.17, subdivisions 1, 3.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 145A.17, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Establishment; goals.

The commissioner shall establish a program
to fund family home visiting programs designed to foster healthy beginnings, improve
pregnancy outcomes, promote school readiness, prevent child abuse and neglect, reduce
juvenile delinquency, promote positive parenting and resiliency in children, and promote
family health and economic self-sufficiency for children and families. The commissioner
shall promote partnerships, collaboration, and multidisciplinary visiting done by teams of
professionals and paraprofessionals from the fields of public health nursing, social work,
and early childhood education. A program funded under this section must serve families
at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, and other families determined
to be at risk, including but not limited to being at risk for child abuse, child neglect, or
juvenile delinquency. Programs must begin prenatally whenever possible and must be
targeted to families deleted text begin with deleted text end new text begin who new text end :

(1) new text begin are new text end adolescent parents;

(2) new text begin have new text end a history of alcohol or other drug abuse;

(3) new text begin have new text end a history of child abuse, domestic abuse, or other types of violence;

(4) new text begin have new text end a history of domestic abuse, rape, or other forms of victimization;

(5) new text begin have new text end reduced cognitive functioning;

(6) new text begin have new text end a lack of knowledge of child growth and development stages;

(7) new text begin have new text end low resiliency to adversities and environmental stresses;

(8) new text begin have new text end insufficient financial resources to meet family needs;

(9) new text begin have new text end a history of homelessness;

(10) new text begin have new text end a risk of long-term welfare dependence or family instability due to
employment barriers;

(11) new text begin have new text end a serious mental health disorder, including maternal depression as defined
in section 145.907; deleted text begin or
deleted text end

(12) new text begin are from a community of color; or
new text end

new text begin (13) have new text end other risk factors as determined by the commissioner.

new text begin Programs must also serve family, friend, and neighbor child care providers who care for
children from families eligible for or receiving home visiting services from a program
funded under this section.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 145A.17, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Requirements for programs; process.

(a) Community health boards
and tribal governments that receive funding under this section must submit a plan to the
commissioner describing a multidisciplinary approach to targeted home visiting for families new text begin
and family, friend, and neighbor child care providers new text end . The plan must be submitted on
forms provided by the commissioner. At a minimum, the plan must include the following:

(1) a description of outreach strategies to families prenatally or at birth;

(2) provisions for the seamless delivery of health, safety, and early learning services;

(3) methods to promote continuity of services when families move within the state;

(4) a description of the community demographics;

(5) a plan for meeting outcome measures; and

(6) a proposed work plan that includes:

(i) coordination to ensure nonduplication of services for children deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin , new text end families new text begin , and
their child care providers new text end ;

(ii) a description of the strategies to ensure that children and families at greatest risk new text begin ,
and their child care providers, new text end receive appropriate services; and

(iii) collaboration with multidisciplinary partners including public health,
ECFE, Head Start, community health workers, social workers, community home
visiting programs, school districts, and other relevant partners. Letters of intent from
multidisciplinary partners must be submitted with the plan.

(b) Each program that receives funds must accomplish the following program
requirements:

(1) use a community-based strategy to provide preventive and early intervention
home visiting services;

(2) offer a home visit by a trained home visitor. If a home visit is accepted, the first
home visit must occur prenatally or as soon after birth as possible and must include a
public health nursing assessment by a public health nurse;

(3) offer, at a minimum, new text begin developmental screenings and new text end information on infant care,
child growth and development, positive parenting, preventing diseases, preventing
exposure to environmental hazards, and support services available in the community;

(4) provide information on and referrals to health care services, if needed, including
information on and assistance in applying for health care coverage for which the child or
family may be eligible; and provide information on preventive services, developmental
assessments, and the availability of public assistance programs as appropriate;

(5) provide youth development programs when appropriate;

(6) recruit home visitors who will represent, to the extent possible, the races,
cultures, and languages spoken by families that may be served;

(7) train and supervise home visitors in accordance with the requirements established
under subdivision 4;

(8) maximize resources and minimize duplication by coordinating or contracting
with local social and human services organizations, education organizations, and other
appropriate governmental entities and community-based organizations and agencies;

(9) utilize appropriate racial and ethnic approaches to providing home visiting
services; and

(10) connect eligible families new text begin and their child care providers new text end , as needed, to
additional resources available in the community, including, but not limited to, early care
and education programs, health or mental health services new text begin , including services to treat
depression new text end , family literacy programs, employment agencies, social services, and child care
resources and referral agencies.

(c) When available, programs that receive funds under this section must offer
or provide the family new text begin or the family's child care provider new text end with a referral to center-based
or group meetings that meet at least once per month for those families identified with
additional needs. The meetings must focus on further enhancing the information,
activities, and skill-building addressed during home visitation; offering opportunities
for parents new text begin and child care providers new text end to meet with and support each other; and offering
infants and toddlers a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for socialization and
supervised play with qualified teachers.

(d) Funds available under this section shall not be used for medical services. The
commissioner shall establish an administrative cost limit for recipients of funds. The
outcome measures established under subdivision 6 must be specified to recipients of
funds at the time the funds are distributed.

(e) Data collected on individuals served by the home visiting programs must remain
confidential and must not be disclosed by providers of home visiting services without a
specific informed written consent that identifies disclosures to be made. Upon request,
agencies providing home visiting services must provide recipients with information on
disclosures, including the names of entities and individuals receiving the information and
the general purpose of the disclosure. Prospective and current recipients of home visiting
services must be told and informed in writing that written consent for disclosure of data is
not required for access to home visiting services.

(f) Upon initial contact with a family, programs that receive funding under this section
must receive permission from the family to share with other family service providers
information about services the family is receiving and unmet needs of the family in order to
select a lead agency for the family and coordinate available resources. For purposes of this
paragraph, the term "family service providers" includes local public health, social services,
school districts, Head Start programs, health care providers, and other public agencies.

Sec. 3. new text begin RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CENTER FOR LAW AND SOCIAL
POLICY.
new text end

new text begin In expanding home visiting services funded through grants under Minnesota
Statutes, section 145A.17, to family, friend, and neighbor child care providers who care for
children from families eligible for or receiving home visiting services, the commissioner
of health shall consider the recommendations of the Center for Law and Social Policy
related to home visiting programs.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATION; FAMILY HOME VISITING PROGRAMS.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2017 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of health for grants to family home visiting programs under Minnesota Statutes, section
145A.17.
new text end