2003 Minnesota Statutes

     145A.15 Home visiting program. 

    Subdivision 1.    Establishment.  (a) The commissioner 
 of health shall expand the current grant program to fund 
 additional projects designed to prevent child abuse and neglect 
 and reduce juvenile delinquency by promoting positive parenting, 
 resiliency in children, and a healthy beginning for children by 
 providing early intervention services for families in need.  
 Grant dollars shall be available to train paraprofessionals to 
 provide in-home intervention services and to allow public health 
 nurses to do case management of services.  The grant program 
 shall provide early intervention services for families in need 
 and will include: 

    (1) expansion of current public health nurse and family 
 aide home visiting programs and public health home visiting 
 projects which prevent child abuse and neglect, prevent juvenile 
 delinquency, and build resiliency in children; 

    (2) early intervention to promote a healthy and nurturing 
 beginning; 

    (3) distribution of educational and public information 
 programs and materials in hospital maternity divisions, 
 well-baby clinics, obstetrical clinics, and community clinics; 
 and 

    (4) training of home visitors in skills necessary for 
 comprehensive home visiting which promotes a healthy and 
 nurturing beginning for the child. 

    (b) No new grants shall be awarded under this section after 
 June 30, 2001.  Grant contracts awarded and in effect under this 
 section as of July 1, 2001, shall continue until their 
 expiration date. 

    Subd. 2.    Grant recipients.  (a) The commissioner is 
 authorized to award grants to programs that meet the 
 requirements of subdivision 3 and include a strong child abuse 
 and neglect prevention focus for families in need of services.  
 Priority will be given to families considered to be in need of 
 additional services.  These families include, but are not 
 limited to, families with: 

    (1) adolescent parents; 

    (2) a history of alcohol and other drug abuse; 

    (3) a history of child abuse, domestic abuse, or other 
 types of violence in the family of origin; 

    (4) a history of domestic abuse, rape, or other forms of 
 victimization; 

    (5) reduced cognitive functioning; 

    (6) a lack of knowledge of child growth and development 
 stages; 

    (7) low resiliency to adversities and environmental 
 stresses; or 

    (8) lack of sufficient financial resources to meet their 
 needs. 

    (b) Grants made under this section shall be used to fund 
 existing and new home visiting programs.  In awarding grants 
 under this section, the commissioner shall give priority to new 
 home visiting programs with local matching funds. 

    Subd. 3.    Program requirements.  (a) The commissioner 
 shall award grants, using a request for proposal system, to 
 programs designed to: 

    (1) contact families at the birth of the child through a 
 public health nurse or trained program representative who will 
 meet the family, provide information, describe the benefits of 
 the program, and offer a home visit to the family to occur 
 during the first weeks of the newborn's life in the home 
 setting; 

    (2) visit the family and newborn in the home setting at 
 which time the public health nurse or trained individual will 
 answer parents' questions, give information, including 
 information on breast feeding, and make referrals to any other 
 appropriate services; 

    (3) conduct a screening process to determine if families 
 need additional support or are at risk for child abuse and 
 neglect and provide additional home visiting services needed by 
 the families including, but not limited to, education on:  
 parenting skills, child development and stages of growth, 
 communication skills, stress management, problem-solving skills, 
 positive child discipline practices, methods to improve 
 parent-child interactions and enhance self-esteem, community 
 support services and other resources, and how to enjoy and have 
 fun with your children; 

    (4) establish clear objectives and protocols for the home 
 visits; 

    (5) determine the frequency and duration of home visits 
 based on a risk-need assessment of the client; except that home 
 visits may begin as early as the first trimester of pregnancy 
 and continue based on the need of the client until the child 
 reaches age six; 

    (6) refer and actively assist the family in accessing new 
 parent and family education, self-help and support services 
 available in the community; 

    (7) develop and distribute educational resource materials 
 and offer presentations on the prevention of child abuse and 
 neglect for use in hospital maternity divisions, well-baby 
 clinics, obstetrical clinics, and community clinics; and 

    (8) coordinate with other local home visitation programs, 
 particularly those offered by school boards under section 
 124D.13, subdivision 4, so as to avoid duplication. 

    (b) Programs must provide at least 40 hours of training for 
 public health nurses, family aides, and other home visitors.  
 Training must include information on the following: 

    (1) the dynamics of child abuse and neglect, domestic and 
 nondomestic violence, and victimization within family systems; 

    (2) signs of abuse or other indications that a child may be 
 at risk of abuse or neglect; 

    (3) what is child abuse and neglect; 

    (4) how to properly report cases of child abuse and 
 neglect; 

    (5) sensitivity and respect for diverse cultural practices 
 in child rearing and family systems, including but not limited 
 to complex family relationships, safety, appropriate services, 
 family preservation, family finances for self-sufficiency, and 
 other special needs or circumstances; 

    (6) community resources, social service agencies, and 
 family support activities or programs; 

    (7) healthy child development and growth; 

    (8) parenting skills; 

    (9) positive child discipline practices; 

    (10) identification of stress factors and stress reduction 
 techniques; 

    (11) home visiting techniques; 

    (12) needs assessment measures; and 

    (13) caring for the special needs of newborns and mothers 
 before and after the birth of the infant. 

    Program services must be community-based, accessible, and 
 culturally relevant and must be designed to foster collaboration 
 among existing agencies and community-based organizations. 

    Subd. 4.    Evaluation.  Each program that receives a 
 grant under this section must include a plan for program 
 evaluation designed to measure the effectiveness of the program 
 in preventing child abuse and neglect.  On January 1, 1994, and 
 annually thereafter, the commissioner of health shall submit a 
 report to the legislature on all activities initiated in the 
 prior biennium under this section.  The report shall include 
 information on the outcomes reported by all programs that 
 received grant funds under this section in that biennium. 

    Subd. 5.    Expiration.  This section expires June 30, 
 2003. 

    HIST: 1992 c 571 art 10 s 9; 1995 c 207 art 9 s 37; 1998 c 397 
 art 11 s 3; 1998 c 407 art 2 s 86; 1Sp2001 c 9 art 1 s 49,50; 
 2002 c 379 art 1 s 113