As used in the Home Visiting Accountability Act:

A. "culturally and linguistically appropriate" means appropriate when taking into consideration the culture, customs and language of an eligible family's home;

B. "department" means the early childhood education and care department;

C. "eligible family" means a family that elects to receive home visiting services and includes:

(1) a child, from birth until kindergarten entry; or

(2) a pregnant woman, an expectant father, a parent or a primary caregiver;

D. "home visiting":

(1) means:

(a) delivering a variety of informational, educational, developmental, referral and other support services for eligible families who are expecting or who have children who have not yet entered kindergarten and that is designed to promote child well-being and prevent adverse childhood experiences; and

(b) providing a comprehensive array of services that promote parental competence and successful early childhood health and development by building long-term relationships with families and optimizing the relationships between parents and children in their home environments; and

(2) does not include:

(a) provision of case management or a one-time home visit or infrequent home visits, such as a home visit for a newborn child or a child in preschool;

(b) home visiting provided as a supplement to other services; or

(c) services delivered through an individualized family service plan or an individualized education program under Part B or Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;

E. "home visiting program" means a program that:

(1) uses home visiting as a primary service delivery strategy; and

(2) offers services on a voluntary basis to pregnant women, expectant fathers and parents and primary caregivers of children from birth to kindergarten entry;

F. "home visiting system" means the infrastructure and programs that support and provide home visiting. A "home visiting system":

(1) provides universal, voluntary access;

(2) provides a common framework for service delivery and accountability across all home visiting programs;

(3) establishes a consistent statewide system of home visiting; and

(4) allows for the collection, aggregation and analysis of common data; and

G. "standards-based program" means a home visiting program that:

(1) is research-based and grounded in relevant, empirically based best practices and knowledge that:

(a) is linked to and measures the following outcomes: 1) babies are born healthy; 2) children are nurtured by their parents and caregivers; 3) children are physically and mentally healthy; 4) children are ready for school; 5) children and families are safe; and 6) families are connected to formal and informal supports in their communities;

(b) has comprehensive home visiting standards that ensure high-quality service delivery and continuous quality improvement; and

(c) has demonstrated significant, sustained positive outcomes;

(2) follows program standards that specify the purpose, outcomes, duration and frequency of services that constitute the program;

(3) follows a research-based curriculum or combinations of research-based curricula, or follows the curriculum of an evidence-based home visiting model or promising approach that the home visiting program has adopted pursuant to department rules defining "evidence-based model" and "promising approach";

(4) employs well-trained and competent staff and provides continual professional supervision and development relevant to the specific program or model being delivered;

(5) demonstrates strong links to other community-based services;

(6) operates within an organization that ensures compliance with home visiting standards;

(7) continually evaluates performance to ensure fidelity to the program standards;

(8) collects data on program activities and program outcomes; and

(9) is culturally and linguistically appropriate.

History: Laws 2013, ch. 118, § 2; 2019, ch. 48, § 28.

The 2019 amendment, effective July 1, 2020, revised certain definitions as used in the Home Visiting Accountability Act; and in Subsection B, deleted "children, youth and families" and added "early childhood education and care".