,,ii #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #afgd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,november #g1 #bjac,mr4 ,franken introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to help establish1 enhance1 and increase access to early childhood parent education and family engagement programs1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,parent ,education and ,family ,engagement in ,early ,childhood ,care and ,education ,act4 #b4 ,purposes ,the purposes of this ,act are-- 7#a7 to strengthen families by helping all parents provide the best possible environment for the healthy growth and development of their young children from birth through early elementary school2 7#b7 to support parents in their role as their child's first and most important teacher by enabling the participation of parents in the early learning process through integrating parent education1 joint parent-child interaction activities1 and family engagement into early childhood education programs2 and 7#c7 to facilitate successful transitions into elementary school by providing continuity of supports for children and parents4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,early childhood educator ,the term early childhood educator means any ,state-licensed or ,state-regulated professional working in an early childhood care and education program1 including such a professional who is-- 7,a7 a child care provider2 7,b7 a center-based or family child care provider2 7,c7 an infant or toddler specialist2 7,d7 an early intervention specialist or early childhood special educator2 7,e7 a home visitor working for an early childhood care and education program described in paragraph 7#b77;,d72 7,f7 an administrator1 such as a director1 supervisor1 or other early childhood care and education leader2 7,g7 a ,head ,start or ,early ,head ,start teacher or teacher assistant2 7,h7 a preschool teacher or other teacher1 or teacher assistant2 7,i7 an early elementary school teacher2 and 7,j7 a trainer or technical assistance provider4 7#b7 ,early childhood care and education program ,the term early childhood care and education program means-- 7,a7 a ,state-licensed or ,state-regulated program or provider1 regardless of setting or funding source1 that provides early care and education for children from the ages of birth to kindergarten entry1 including any program operated by a child care center or in a family child care home2 7,b7 a preschool program funded by the ,federal ,government or by a ,state or a local educational agency 7including any preschool program supported under section #fai or part ,c of the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adai1 #adca et seq4772 7,c7 an ,early ,head ,start program or ,head ,start program2 or 7,d7 a program that delivers early childhood care and education services in a child's home1 such as the maternal1 infant1 and early childhood home visiting programs established under section #eaa of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #gaa7 and home visits supported under the ,early ,head ,start program4 7#c7 ,early ,head ,start program ,the term ,early ,head ,start program means an ,early ,head ,start program supported under section #fde;,a of the ,head ,start ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihdj74 7#d7 ,head ,start program ,the term ,head ,start program means the ,head ,start program supported under the ,head ,start ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihca et seq474 7#e7 ,high-need area ,the term high-need area means a defined geographical area in which there is-- 7,a7 a high rate of child poverty2 and 7,b7 7i7 a limited supply of high-quality1 affordable1 and culturally and linguistically competent early childhood care and education program opportunities for children2 or 7ii7 #a or more elementary schools that are identified under section #aaaf of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fcaf74 7#f7 ,local agency ,the term local agency means-- 7,a7 a local educational agency1 as defined in section #iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja72 7,b7 an agency administering an ,early ,head ,start program or ,head ,start program2 7,c7 a local agency responsible for administering a home visiting program for young children2 7,d7 an agency responsible for administering any other ,federal1 ,state1 or local government child care or early childhood education program2 7,e7 a local early childhood advisory council or coalition2 7,f7 a local child care resource and referral agency2 or 7,g7 a consortium of agencies described in any of subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,f74 7#g7 ,parent ,the term parent has the meaning given the term in section #iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#h7 ,secretaries ,the term ,secretaries means the ,secretary of ,education and the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 acting in accordance with the interagency agreement described in section #aj4 7#i7 ,state ,the term ,state means each of the several ,states of the ,united ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 and the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands4 #d4 ,early childhood parent education and family engagement program 7a7 ,program authorized 7#a7 ,in general ,from the amounts made available under section #aa and not reserved under paragraph 7#b71 the ,secretaries are authorized to award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to ,states to enable such ,states to support early childhood parent education and family engagement activities by awarding subgrants to local agencies4 7#b7 ,reservation ,of the amounts appropriated to carry out this ,act for a fiscal year1 the ,secretaries may use not more than #c percent to carry out section #h4 7b7 ,matching requirement 7#a7 ,matching funds required ,a ,state that receives a grant under this section shall contribute1 to the activities assisted under such grant1 matching funds in an amount equal to not less than #bj percent of the amount of the grant4 7#b7 ,types of funds ,the matching funds required under paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 shall be from non-,federal sources2 and 7,b7 may be met by-- 7i7 contributions that are in cash or in-kind2 and 7ii7 ,state or local funds or funds from any private source4 #e4 ,applications 7a7 ,in general ,each ,state desiring a grant under this ,act shall submit an application to the ,secretaries at such time1 in such manner1 and accompanied by such information as the ,secretaries may reasonably require4 7b7 ,contents ,each application submitted under subsection 7a7 shall include the following3 7#a7 ,a description of how the ,state1 through a local agency1 will achieve the following goals3 7,a7 ,providing families with increased opportunities1 including through the use of culturally and linguistically appropriate materials1 to learn how to best support their children's physical1 cognitive1 social1 and emotional development during the first #e years of life in the family and home setting4 7,b7 ,increasing parent involvement in their children's early childhood care and education program settings4 7,c7 ,as applicable1 coordinating activities under this ,act with-- 7i7 parent involvement and education supported under part ,c of the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adca et seq472 7ii7 parent training and information centers authorized under section #fga of such ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adga72 7iii7 parent engagement activities carried out under section #aaah of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fcah72 and 7iv7 parental information and resource centers supported under subpart #af of part ,d of title ,v of such ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #gbgc et seq474 7,d7 ,facilitating successful transitions between settings1 including transitions between early childhood care and education programs1 transitions into elementary school1 and transitions between the early grades of elementary school4 7#b7 ,a description of how the ,state will-- 7,a7 engage and assist local agencies in high-need areas in applying for subgrants under this ,act2 7,b7 award subgrants to local agencies serving high-need areas2 and 7,c7 provide technical assistance to local agencies receiving subgrants in high-need areas to address unique barriers to the implementation of the subgrant activities4 7#c7 ,a description of how the ,state will-- 7,a7 engage and assist local agencies in rural communities in applying for subgrants under this ,act2 and 7,b7 provide technical assistance to local agencies receiving subgrants in rural communities to address unique barriers to implementation of the subgrant activities4 #f4 ,state use of funds 7a7 ,distribution of subgrants ,a ,state that receives a grant under this ,act for a fiscal year-- 7#a7 shall use not less than #hc percent of the grant funds to award subgrants to local agencies to establish1 expand1 or enhance early childhood parent education and family engagement programs involving children from birth through #e years of age and their parents2 and 7#b7 may use not more than #ae percent of the grant funds to award subgrants to local agencies to establish1 expand1 or enhance elementary school parent education and family engagement programs serving children between #e and #h years of age and their parents to assist with the transition to elementary school4 7b7 ,administration ,a ,state may use not more than #b percent of the amount received under this ,act for any fiscal year to pay for the administrative costs of the program supported by the grant4 #g4 ,subgrants 7a7 ,subgrants authorized ,a ,state receiving a grant under this ,act shall use grant funds1 in accordance with section #f7;a71 to award subgrants1 on a competitive basis1 to local agencies to enable the local agencies to establish1 expand1 or enhance early childhood and elementary school parent education and family engagement programs through the activities described in subsection 7d74 7b7 ,applications ,a local agency desiring a subgrant under this section shall submit an application to the ,state at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,state may reasonably require4 7c7 ,consultation ,each local agency receiving a subgrant under this section shall develop the program carried out with grant funds in consultation with-- 7#a7 other ,federal1 ,state1 or local government-sponsored early childhood care and education programs1 including child care programs supported through ,federal1 ,state1 or local funding sources1 ,early ,head ,start programs1 ,head ,start programs1 early childhood mental health providers1 early intervention services1 and home visiting programs for young children1 as appropriate2 and 7#b7 parents who will be participating in the program carried out under the subgrant4 7d7 ,use of funds 7#a7 ,required activities ,a program carried out by a local agency receiving a subgrant under this section shall include-- 7,a7 support for parent education activities to enhance the skills of parents to provide for and understand their children's learning processes and intellectual1 social1 emotional1 and physical development1 including instruction in positive parenting practices through parent-child interaction2 7,b7 training and professional development for early childhood educators in-- 7i7 strategies for engaging parents1 especially working parents1 in parent education activities2 and 7ii7 culturally and linguistically appropriate approaches to discussing parenting1 behavior management1 and healthy child development2 7,c7 training for parent educators and early childhood educators in-- 7i7 detecting challenges to children's physical1 cognitive1 social and emotional1 or behavioral development that may lead to learning problems and can be addressed through the community resources described in paragraph 7#b77;,a72 and 7ii7 improving child and family health1 safety1 and stability2 and 7,d7 coordination between early childhood educators and instructional staff at elementary schools in the same geographic area as the local agency1 in order to establish ongoing channels of communication to help teachers1 early childhood educators1 and parents prepare children for school4 7#b7 ,permissible activities ,a program carried out by a local agency receiving a subgrant under this section may include-- 7,a7 coordination with1 and referral to1 related community resources1 including1 where appropriate-- 7i7 child care subsidy services2 7ii7 health and mental health services2 7iii7 early intervention services provided under part ,c of ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act2 7iv7 employment and financial services2 7v7 adult education services2 and 7vi7 home visiting services2 7,b7 indirect parental involvement activities designed to update parents and families on the progress of their children and the other activities of the program1 such as newsletter-related activities1 parent-teacher conferences1 or other parent outreach activities1 when the use of such indirect parental involvement activities support the activities described in paragraph 7#a72 and 7,c7 other parent and family education or engagement activities to improve the health1 development1 and school readiness of children4 7e7 ,restrictions ,a local agency receiving a subgrant under this section may not use such funds for routine child care or early childhood education program services that are not directly related to parent education or family engagement programs4 7f7 ,reports 7#a7 ,annual report ,a local agency that receives a subgrant under this section shall submit an annual report to the ,state and to the ,secretaries at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretaries may require1 including at a minimum-- 7,a7 data on the number and characteristics of parents and families who have received services from the local agency's program1 including-- 7i7 the number and percentage of such families with incomes below the poverty line 7as defined by the ,office of ,management and ,budget and revised annually in accordance with section #fgc7b7 of the ,community ,services ,block ,grant ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #iijb7b777 applicable to a family of the size involved2 and 7ii7 the number and percentage of such families that include children with high needs1 including-- 7,i7 children with disabilities1 as defined in section #fjb of the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adja71 or with developmental delays1 as defined in section #fcb of such ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adcb72 7,,ii7 children who are dual language learners2 7,,iii7 children who reside on ,indian lands1 as defined in section #hjac of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ggac72 and 7,,iv7 children who are migrant1 homeless1 or in foster care2 7,b7 data demonstrating an increase in the availability and quality of parent education and family engagement services in communities in which the local agency operates2 7,c7 data describing the training provided to teachers1 early childhood educators1 and parents2 7,d7 evidence of improved support for parents and children to help promote successful transitions for children into elementary school2 7,e7 evidence that parents developed positive relationships with early childhood care and education staff and gained confidence in addressing family specific needs1 including-- 7i7 family safety and stability2 and 7ii7 family health and mental health2 and 7,f7 if a local agency uses funds under this ,act for permissible activities under subsection 7d77#b71 evidence of coordination with1 and referral to1 related community resources1 including evidence that parents were referred to and accessed services described in subsection 7d77#b77;,a74 #h4 ,research1 evaluation1 and dissemination 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretaries shall enter into an agreement with the ,national ,academy of ,sciences1 under which the ,national ,academy of ,sciences shall conduct a study and evaluation1 including a report1 on best practices that support the purposes of this ,act1 including best practices-- 7#a7 for training early childhood educators and parents in detecting children's physical1 cognitive1 social and emotional1 or behavioral developmental issues that are associated with learning problems2 7#b7 for training and professional development for early childhood educators 7including early childhood care and education program directors7 in-- 7,a7 strategies for engaging parents1 especially working parents1 in parent education activities2 and 7,b7 culturally and linguistically appropriate approaches to discussing parenting1 behavior management1 and healthy child development1 especially in areas with diverse populations of children and families2 7#c7 for training parent educators and early childhood educators in identifying and preventing child abuse and neglect2 and 7#d7 for referring parents to community resources and services to address identified family needs4 7b7 ,specific activities ,the evaluation described in subsection 7a7 shall carry out all of the following3 7#a7 ,assess the impact of each local agency's program1 using evidence of the program's outcomes1 including-- 7,a7 increased quality of parent education and engagement services within early childhood care and education programs2 and 7,b7 improved child and family health1 safety1 and stability4 7#b7 ,identify factors that foster or hinder the successful implementation of each local agency's program4 7#c7 ,utilize the data on best practices1 as described in subsection 7a71 to provide information to each local agency that can be used to drive program improvement4 7#d7 ,generate and disseminate information about best practices1 as described in subsection 7a71 that are associated with-- 7,a7 increased quality of parent education and family engagement services within early childhood care and education programs2 and 7,b7 improved child and family health1 safety1 and stability4 7c7 ,reporting schedule and plan ,the ,secretaries shall work with the ,national ,academy of ,sciences to establish and approve a reporting schedule and a research1 evaluation1 and dissemination plan for the evaluation described in subsection 7a74 7d7 ,report to ,congress ,the ,secretaries shall submit an annual report to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate1 the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate1 the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce of the ,house of ,representatives1 and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives1 on the lessons learned through programs funded under this ,act4 #i4 ,general provisions 7a7 ,supplement and not supplant ,grant and subgrant funds provided under this ,act shall supplement1 and not supplant1 other ,federal1 ,state1 and local funds that are available for early childhood parent education and family engagement programs4 ,states receiving grant funds1 and local agencies receiving subgrant funds1 under this ,act may provide additional funds1 other than those received under this ,act1 to enhance the parent education and family engagement programs that are supported by such grant or subgrant funds4 7b7 ,maintenance of effort ,a ,state that receives funds under this part for a fiscal year shall maintain the fiscal effort provided by the ,state for the activities supported by the funds under this ,act at a level equal to or greater than the level of such fiscal effort for the preceding fiscal year4 7c7 ,voluntary participation ,family participation in any program supported under this ,act shall be voluntary and shall not preclude the family's participation in other ,federal1 ,state1 or local programs4 #aj4 ,interagency agreement ,the ,secretary of ,education and the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall jointly develop policies for1 and administer activities under1 this ,act in accordance with such terms as the ,secretaries shall set forth in an interagency agreement4 ,such interagency agreement1 at a minimum1 shall include a description of the respective roles and responsibilities of the ,secretaries in carrying out this ,act4 #aa4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years #bjad through #bjai4