Hearing of the Human Resources Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee - Home Visiting Program

Hearing

Mr. Chairman, one of the constant refrains we hear from witnesses and Members alike in this subcommittee, especially when it comes to child maltreatment, is that our focus should be on preventing problems, rather than simply responding to them. That's why the creation of the federal home visiting program in 2010 was so important. It is an investment dedicated to prevention and to the future development of children.

A wealth of evidence tells us that this investment pays off for children in terms of better health, fewer injuries, and improved school readiness. And this investment will pay off for society by lowering health care costs, increasing self-sufficiency, and reducing crime. It shouldn't surprise any of us that "Fight Crime: Invest in Kids," a group representing nearly 5,000 law enforcement leaders from around the country, strongly supports the federal home visiting program, because it helps stop what they call "the cycle of abuse" that our police officers encounter in the field every day.

Home visiting programs send nurses, social workers, or trained individuals to the homes of families with young children to help parents, on a voluntary basis, promote the development of their children. Under the federal home visiting program, known as Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV), grants are provided to states for services that are specifically designed to promote maternal and child health, improve school readiness, prevent child abuse or neglect, and promote other positive outcomes.

Seventy-five percent of these funds are required to be spent on models of homes visiting that already have strong evidence of effectiveness, while the remainder of funds can be spent on models that show promise but require more evidence. This combination helps ensure that we both invest in success and encourage innovation.

Between 2010 and 2013, my home state of Texas has received over $50 million from the federal home visiting program -- an investment that has helped the state significantly expand the availability of services for families with young children. And that money has not been spent in a vacuum. It has allowed the state to build a network of high-quality programs and to invest its own money in programs that have a proven record of success.

Three Home Visiting programs have been established using federal funds in Bexar County, which contains San Antonio and has the worst child abuse and neglect problems in the state. And the State of Texas has invested its own money to establish a Nurse-Family Partnership program 80 miles north in Travis County, which I also represent.

Last week, the House passed a temporary extension of funding for the federal home visiting program. While I am glad to see there is agreement that this program should not expire in six months, we should not be funding this program in a "stop-start" manner.

Home visiting initiatives around the country shouldn't have to worry every six months about whether their funding will vanish. They should focus on ensuring that families have the information and services needed to help their children reach their maximum potential. A long-term extension with full funding is needed to provide certainty to the at-risk families who benefit from home visiting

Mr. Chairman, I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today, and I hope this hearing will continue to build a strong consensus that home visiting deserves our full support. Thank you.

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