| Chapter 028 |
| 2016 -- H 7220 Enacted 05/23/2016 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - RHODE ISLAND FAMILY HOME-VISITING ACT |
| Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Amore, Craven, O'Brien, and Messier |
| Date Introduced: January 15, 2016 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| WHEREAS, A child's first experiences and relationships set the foundation for |
| development and learning that leads to success in school and in life. Voluntary, high-quality, |
| evidence-based home-visiting programs help build parenting skills and address challenges faced |
| by many vulnerable families with young children. |
| WHEREAS, Children in at-risk families who participate in evidence-based home-visiting |
| programs have improved language, cognitive, and social-emotional development and are less |
| likely to experience child abuse and neglect. Families who participate are more likely to provide a |
| safe, enriching home environment and become more economically secure through education and |
| employment. Evidence-based home-visiting programs can also improve maternal and child |
| health, reducing long-term health care costs. |
| WHEREAS, There is an existing infrastructure of home-visiting programs in Rhode |
| Island that provides early supportive services to vulnerable families with young children who are |
| at risk for poor outcomes. |
| SECTION 1. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "HEALTH AND SAFETY" is hereby |
| amended by adding thereto the following chapter: |
| CHAPTER 13.7 |
| THE RHODE ISLAND FAMILY HOME-VISITING ACT |
| 23-13.7-1. Short title. -- This chapter may be known and may be cited as "The Rhode |
| Island Family Home-Visiting Act." |
| 23-13.7-2. Home-visiting system components. -- (a) The Rhode Island department of |
| health shall coordinate the system of early childhood home-visiting services in Rhode Island and |
| shall work with the department of human services and department of children, youth and families |
| to identify effective, evidence-based home-visiting models that meet the needs of vulnerable |
| families with young children. |
| (b) The Rhode Island department of health shall implement a statewide home-visiting |
| system which uses evidence-based models proven to improve child and family outcomes. |
| Evidence-based home-visiting programs must follow with fidelity a program model with |
| comprehensive standards that ensure high-quality service delivery, use research-based curricula, |
| and have demonstrated significant positive outcomes in at least two (2) of the following areas: |
| (1) Improved prenatal, maternal, infant, or child health outcomes; |
| (2) Improved safety and reduced child maltreatment and injury; |
| (3) Improved family economic security and self-sufficiency; |
| (4) Enhanced early childhood development (social-emotional, language, cognitive, |
| physical) to improve children's readiness to succeed in school. |
| (c) The Rhode Island department of health shall implement a system to identify and refer |
| families prenatally, or as early after the birth of a child as possible, to voluntary, evidence-based |
| home-visiting programs. The referral system shall prioritize families for services based on risk |
| factors known to impair child development, including: |
| (1) Adolescent parent(s); |
| (2) History of prenatal drug or alcohol abuse; |
| (3) History of child maltreatment, domestic abuse, or other types of violence; |
| (4) Incarcerated parent(s); |
| (5) Reduced parental cognitive functioning or significant disability; |
| (6) Insufficient financial resources to meet family needs; |
| (7) History of homelessness; or |
| (8) Other risk factors as determined by the department. |
| (d) Beginning on or before October 1, 2016, and annually thereafter, the Rhode Island |
| department of health shall issue a state home-visiting report that outlines the components of the |
| state's family home-visiting system which shall be made publicly available on the department's |
| website. The report shall include: |
| (1) The number of families served by each evidence-based model; and |
| (2) Demographic data on families served; and |
| (3) Duration of participation of families; and |
| (4) Cross-departmental coordination; and |
| (5) Outcomes related to prenatal, maternal, infant and child health, child maltreatment, |
| family economic security, and child development and school readiness. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC003326 |
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