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Site MapHome Visiting: A New Opportunity in Federal Funding
Panel discussion, Legislative Office Building in Hartford, April 12, 2011
From left: Commission on Children Executive Director Elaine Zimmerman, Nicole Barcliff of the Pew Center on the States (speaking), and Representative Marie Kirkley-Bey of Hartford. More photos
The federal Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program will appropriate $1.5 billion over five years to the states for high-quality, evidence-based early childhood home visiting programs. These programs often reduce child maltreatment and family violence while improving school readiness, economic stability, and family health. The new federal investment is meant to strengthen and expand approved programs as well as create an integrated home visitation system. There are also challenges in meeting the federal guidelines and allocating funds.
The Commission on Children brought to Hartford two national experts—Jack Tweedie, director of the Children and Families Program at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and Nicole Barcliff, senior associate for government relations at the Pew Center on the States—to discuss ways Connecticut might take advantage of this opportunity, along with the challenges of meeting the federal guidelines.
The event also featured presentations from organizations operating model home visiting programs. Presenters included:
- Grace Whitney, director of the state Head Start Collaboration Office
- Dr. Darcy Lowell, director of Child FIRST
- Karen Foley-Schain, executive director of the Connecticut Children’s Trust Fund
- Pamela Langer, state leader of Connecticut Parents as Teachers (ConnPAT)
Meeting documents
- Jack Tweedie and Nicole Barcliff PowerPoint presentation
- Dr. Darcy Lowell's PowerPoint presentation
- "The Case for Home Visiting," a report from the Pew Center on the States
- "Maximizing the Impact of State Early Childhood Home Visitation Programs," an issue brief by the National Governors Association
Photos
