Relates to providing education and outreach programs related to home visiting programs which provide support for pregnant and parenting families, and have been proven to improve outcomes for mothers, infants, and families; provides that such information shall include information on services available from such programs, eligibility, and relevant contact information.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6029
SPONSOR: Zaccaro TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to providing educa-
tion and outreach programs related to home visiting programs
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to increase awareness and outreach efforts
to those that may be eligible for home visiting services.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 would expand the Health Care and Wellness Education and
Outreach program, under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health
(DOH) to include home visiting programs. Specifically, this will result
in the creation of informational material on the availability, eligibil-
ity criteria, and relevant contact information of home visiting programs
across the state.
Section 2 would establish the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Home visiting programs provide family support to parents and families
from pregnancy until the time the child enters kindergarten, including
information and support about parenting, children's health and develop-
ment, and explaining healthy coping strategies for stressful parenting
situations. These programs have been proven to demonstrably improve
outcomes for children and their families: There are numerous home visit-
ing programs that can be found throughout the state. These programs
serve families at different stages and have different eligibility crite-
ria. Additionally, only certain home visiting programs may be found in
each area of the State. This bill would serve to make families aware of
this important resource and provide a bridge to help people get
connected to the appropriate home visiting services that are available
to them. Additionally, this bill is meant to be the first step to
achieve statewide universal home visiting, ensuring sufficient services
are available, so all eligible families have access to these incredibly
important programs. Currently, it is evident that the availability of
services is woefully inadequate to meet the current need.
According to the New York State Citizen Review Panels' 2017 annual
report, "Harness the Power of Home Visiting; A Proven and Cost-Effective
Tool to Prevent Child Maltreatment," "only 5% of potentially eligible
children are receiving home visiting." With the plethora of data that's
available identifying the importance of these programs, the State should
take all the necessary steps to expand access and availability. across
New York.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A9970: 2019-2020
A2626: 2021-2022
A4570A: 2023-2024
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
