Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act

TITLE II--COMMUNITY-BASED FAMILY RESOURCE AND SUPPORT GRANTS

[42 U.S.C. 5116 et seq.]

SEC. 201. PURPOSE AND AUTHORITY.

PURPOSE.--It is the purpose of this title--
1. to support State efforts to develop, operate, expand and enhance a network of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs that coordinate resources among existing education, vocational rehabilitation, disability, respite care, health, mental health, job readiness, self-sufficiency, child and family development, community action, Head Start, child care, child abuse and neglect prevention, juvenile justice, domestic violence prevention and intervention, housing, and other human service organizations within the State; and
2. to foster an understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of diverse populations in order to be effective in preventing and treating child abuse and neglect.
AUTHORITY.--The Secretary shall make grants under this title on a formula basis to the entity designated by the State as the lead entity (hereafter referred to in this title as the `lead entity') under section 202(1) for the purpose of--
1. developing, operating, expanding and enhancing Statewide networks of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs that--
  1. offer assistance to families;
  2. provide early, comprehensive support for parents;
  3. promote the development of parenting skills, especially in young parents and parents with very young children;
  4. increase family stability;
  5. improve family access to other formal and informal resources and opportunities for assistance available within communities;
  6. support the additional needs of families with children with disabilities through respite care and other services; and
  7. decrease the risk of homelessness;
2. fostering the development of a continuum of preventive services for children and families through State and community-based collaborations and partnerships both public and private;
3. financing the start-up, maintenance, expansion, or redesign of specific family resource and support program services (such as respite care services, child abuse and neglect prevention activities, disability services, mental health services, housing services, transportation, adult education, home visiting and other similar services) identified by the inventory and description of current services required under section 205(a)(3) as an unmet need, and integrated with the network of community-based family resource and support program to the extent practicable given funding levels and community priorities;
4. maximizing funding for the financing, planning, community mobilization, collaboration, assessment, information and referral, startup, training and technical assistance, information management, reporting and evaluation costs for establishing, operating, or expanding a Statewide network of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support program; and
5. financing public information activities that focus on the healthy and positive development of parents and children and the promotion of child abuse and neglect prevention activities.

SEC. 202.ELIGIBILITY.

A State shall be eligible for a grant under this title for a fiscal year if--

1. the chief executive officer of the State has designated a lead entity to administer funds under this title for the purposes identified under the authority of this title, including to develop, implement, operate, enhance or expand a Statewide network of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs, child abuse and neglect prevention activities and access to respite care services integrated with the Statewide network;
2. such lead entity is an existing public, quasi-public,or nonprofit private entity (which may be an entity that has not been established pursuant to State legislation, executive order, or any other written authority of the State) with a demonstrated ability to work with other State and community-based agencies to provide training and technical assistance, and that has the capacity and commitment to ensure the meaningful involvement of parents who are consumers and who can provide leadership in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs and policy decisions of the applicant agency in accomplishing the desired outcomes for such efforts;
3. in determining which entity to designate under subparagraph (A), the chief executive officer should give priority consideration equally to a trust fund advisory board of the State or to an existing entity that leverages Federal, State, and private funds for a broad range of child abuse and neglect prevention activities and family resource programs, and that is directed by an interdisciplinary, public-private structure, including participants from communities; and
4. in the case of a State that has designated a State trust fund advisory board for purposes of administering funds under this title (as such title was in effect on the date of the enactment of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Amendments of 1996) and in which one or more entities that leverage Federal, State, and private funds (as described in subparagraph (C)) exist, the chief executive officer shall designate the lead entity only after full consideration of the capacity and expertise of all entities desiring to be designated under subparagraph (A);
the chief executive officer of the State provides assurances that the lead entity will provide or will be responsible for providing--
1. a network of community-based family resource and support programs composed of local, collaborative, public-private partnerships directed by interdisciplinary structures with balanced representation from private and public sector members, parents, and public and private nonprofit service providers and individuals and organizations experienced in working in partnership with families with children with disabilities;
2. direction to the network through an interdisciplinary, collaborative, public-private structure with balanced representation from private and public sector members, parents, and public sector and private nonprofit sector service providers; and
3. direction and oversight to the network through identified goals and objectives, clear lines of communication and accountability, the provision of leveraged or combined funding from Federal, State and private sources, centralized assessment and planning activities, the provision of training and technical assistance, and reporting and evaluation functions; and
the chief executive officer of the State provides assurances that the lead entity--
1. has a demonstrated commitment to parental participation in the development, operation, and oversight of the Statewide network of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs;
2. has a demonstrated ability to work with State and community-based public and private nonprofit organizations to develop a continuum of preventive, family centered, comprehensive services for children and families through the Statewide network of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs;
3. has the capacity to provide operational support(both financial and programmatic) and training and technical assistance, to the Statewide network of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs, through innovative, interagency funding and interdisciplinary service delivery mechanisms; and
4. will integrate its efforts with individuals and organizations experienced in working in partnership with families with children with disabilities and with the child abuse and neglect prevention activities of the State, and demonstrate a financial commitment to those activities.

SEC. 203. AMOUNT OF GRANT.

RESERVATION.--The Secretary shall reserve 1 percent of the amount appropriated under section 210 for a fiscal year to make allotments to Indian tribes and tribal organizations and migrant programs.
REMAINING AMOUNTS.--
1. IN GENERAL.--The Secretary shall allot the amount appropriated under section 210 for a fiscal year and remaining after the reservation under subsection (a) among the States as follows:
  1. 70 percent of such amount appropriated shall be allotted among the States by allotting to each State an amount that bears the same proportion to such amount appropriated as the number of children under the age of 18 residing in the State bears to the total number of children under the age of 18 residing in all States (except that no State shall receive less than $175,000 under this subparagraph).
  2. 30 percent of such amount appropriated shall be allotted among the States by allotting to each State an amount that bears the same proportion to such amount appropriated as the amount leveraged by the State from private, State, or other non-Federal sources and directed through the State lead agency in the preceding fiscal year bears to the aggregate of the amounts leveraged by all States from private, State, or other non-Federal sources and directed through the lead agency of such States in the preceding fiscal year.
2. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT.--The Secretary shall provide allotments under paragraph (1) to the State lead entity.
ALLOCATION.--Funds allotted to a State under this section--
1. shall be for a 3-year period; and
2. shall be provided by the Secretary to the State on an annual basis, as described in subsection (a).

SEC. 204. EXISTING GRANTS.

IN GENERAL.--Notwithstanding the enactment of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Amendments of 1996, a State or entity that has a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement in effect, on the date of the enactment of such Act under any program described in subsection (b), shall continue to receive funds under such program, subject to the original terms under which such funds were provided under the grant, through the end of the applicable grant cycle.
PROGRAMS DESCRIBED.--The programs described in this subsection are the following:
1. The Community-Based Family Resource programs under section 201 of this Act, as such section was in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Amendments of 1996.
2. The Family Support Center programs under subtitle F of title VII of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11481 et seq.), as such title was in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Amendments of 1996.
3. The Emergency Child Abuse Prevention Services grant program under section 107A of this Act, as such section was in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Human Services Amendments of 1994.
4. Programs under the Temporary Child Care for Children With Disabilities and Crisis Nurseries Act of 1986.

SEC. 205. APPLICATION.

A grant may not be made to a State under this title unless an application therefor is submitted by the State to the Secretary and such application contains the types of information specified by the Secretary as essential to carrying out the provisions of section 202, including--

a description of the lead entity that will be responsible for the administration of funds provided under this title and the oversight of programs funded through the Statewide network of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs which meets the requirements of section 202;
a description of how the network of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs will operate and how family resource and support services provided by public and private, nonprofit organizations, including those funded by programs consolidated under this Act, will be integrated into a developing continuum of family centered, holistic, preventive services for children and families;
an assurance that an inventory of current family resource programs, respite care, child abuse and neglect prevention activities, and other family resource services operating in the State, and a description of current unmet needs, will be provided;
a budget for the development, operation and expansion of the State's network of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs that verifies that the State will expend in non-Federal funds an amount equal to not less than 20 percent of the amount received under this title (in cash, not in-kind) for activities under this title;
an assurance that funds received under this title will supplement, not supplant, other State and local public funds designated for the Statewide network of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs;
an assurance that the State has the capacity to ensure the meaningful involvement of parents who are consumers and who can provide leadership in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the programs and policy decisions of the applicant agency in accomplishing the desired outcomes for such efforts;
a description of the criteria that the entity will use to develop, or select and fund, individual community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs as part of network development, expansion or enhancement;
a description of outreach activities that the entity and the community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs will undertake to maximize the participation of racial and ethnic minorities, children and adults with disabilities, homeless families and those at risk of homelessness, and members of other underserved or underrepresented groups;
a plan for providing operational support, training and technical assistance to community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs for development, operation, expansion and enhancement activities;
a description of how the applicant entity's activities and those of the network and its members will be evaluated;
a description of the actions that the applicant entity will take to advocate systemic changes in State policies, practices, procedures and regulations to improve the delivery of prevention-focused, family resource and support program services to children and families; and
⁴ an assurance that the applicant entity will provide the Secretary with reports at such time and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

SEC. 206. LOCAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

IN GENERAL.-- Grants made under this title shall be used to develop, implement, operate, expand and enhance community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs that--
1. assess community assets and needs through a planning process that involves parents and local public agencies, local nonprofit organizations, and private sector representatives;
2. develop a strategy to provide, over time, a continuum of preventive, family centered services to children and families, especially to young parents and parents with young children, through public-private partnerships;
3. provide--
  1. core family resource and support services such as--
    1. parent education, mutual support and self help, and leadership services;
    2. outreach services;
    3. community and social service referrals; and
    4. follow-up services;
  2. other core services, which must be provided or arranged for through contracts or agreements with other local agencies, including all forms of respite care services to the extent practicable; and
  3. access to optional services, including--
    1. referral to and counseling for adoption services for individuals interested in adopting a child or relinquishing their child for adoption;
    2. child care, early childhood development and intervention services;
    3. referral to services and supports to meet the additional needs of families with children with disabilities;
    4. referral to job readiness services;
    5. referral to educational services, such as scholastic tutoring, literacy training, and General Educational Degree services;
    6. self-sufficiency and life management skills training;
    7. community referral services, including early developmental screening of children; and
    8. peer counseling;
4. develop leadership roles for the meaningful involvement of parents in the development, operation, evaluation, and oversight of the programs and services;
5. provide leadership in mobilizing local public and private resources to support the provision of needed family resource and support program services; and
6. participate with other community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support program grantees in the development, operation and expansion of the Statewide network.
PRIORITY.-- In awarding local grants under this title, a lead entity shall give priority to effective community-based programs serving low income communities and those serving young parents or parents with young children, including community-based family resource and support programs.

SEC. 207. PERFORMANCE MEASURES.

A State receiving a grant under this title, through reports provided to the Secretary--

shall demonstrate the effective development, operation and expansion of a Statewide network of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs that meets the requirements of this title;
shall supply an inventory and description of the services provided to families by local programs that meet identified community needs, including core and optional services as described in section 202;
shall demonstrate the establishment of new respite care and other specific new family resources services, and the expansion of existing services, to address unmet needs identified by the inventory and description of current services required under section 205(3);
shall describe the number of families served, including families with children with disabilities, and the involvement of a diverse representation of families in the design, operation, and evaluation of the Statewide network of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs, and in the design, operation and evaluation of the individual community-based family resource and support programs that are part of the Statewide network funded under this title;
shall demonstrate a high level of satisfaction among families who have used the services of the community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs;
shall demonstrate the establishment or maintenance of innovative funding mechanisms, at the State or community level, that blend Federal, State, local and private funds, and innovative, interdisciplinary service delivery mechanisms, for the development, operation, expansion and enhancement of the Statewide network of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs;
shall describe the results of a peer review process conducted under the State program; and
shall demonstrate an implementation plan to ensure the continued leadership of parents in the on-going planning, implementation, and evaluation of such community based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs.

SEC. 208. NATIONAL NETWORK FOR COMMUNITY-BASED FAMILY RESOURCE PROGRAMS.

The Secretary may allocate such sums as may be necessary from the amount provided under the State allotment to support the activities of the lead entity in the State--

to create, operate and maintain a peer review process;
to create, operate and maintain an information clearinghouse;
to fund a yearly symposium on State system change efforts that result from the operation of the Statewide networks of community-based, prevention-focused, family resource and support programs;
to create, operate and maintain a computerized communication system between lead entities; and
to fund State-to-State technical assistance through bi-annual conferences.

SEC. 209. DEFINITIONS.

For purposes of this title:

CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.-- The term " children with disabilities " has the same meaning given such term in section 602(a)(2) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
COMMUNITY REFERRAL SERVICES.-- The term " community referral services " means services provided under contract or through interagency agreements to assist families in obtaining needed information, mutual support and community resources, including respite care services, health and mental health services, employability development and job training, and other social services, including early developmental screening of children, through help lines or other methods.
FAMILY RESOURCE AND SUPPORT PROGRAM.-- The term " family resource and support program " means a community-based, prevention-focused entity that--
1. provides, through direct service, the core services required under this title, including--
  1. parent education, support and leadership services, together with services characterized by relationships between parents and professionals that are based on equality and respect, and designed to assist parents in acquiring parenting skills, learning about child development, and responding appropriately to the behavior of their children;
  2. services to facilitate the ability of parents to serve as resources to one another (such as through mutual support and parent self-help groups);
  3. outreach services provided through voluntary home visits and other methods to assist parents in becoming aware of and able to participate in family resources and support program activities;
  4. community and social services to assist families in obtaining community resources; and
  5. follow-up services;
2. provides, or arranges for the provision of, other core services through contracts or agreements with other local agencies, including all forms of respite care services; and
3. provides access to optional services, directly or by contract, purchase of service, or interagency agreement, including--
  1. child care, early childhood development and early intervention services;
  2. referral to self-sufficiency and life management skills training;
  3. referral to education services, such as scholastic tutoring, literacy training, and General Educational Degree services;
  4. referral to services providing job readiness skills;
  5. child abuse and neglect prevention activities;
  6. referral to services that families with children with disabilities or special needs may require;
  7. community and social service referral, including early developmental screening of children;
  8. peer counseling;
  9. referral for substance abuse counseling and treatment; and
  10. help line services.
OUTREACH SERVICES.-- The term " outreach services " means services provided to assist consumers, through voluntary home visits or other methods, in accessing and participating in family resource and support program activities.
RESPITE CARE SERVICES.-- The term " respite care services " means short term care services provided in the temporary absence of the regular caregiver (parent, other relative, foster parent, adoptive parent, or guardian) to children who--
1. are in danger of abuse or neglect;
2. have experienced abuse or neglect; or
3. have disabilities, chronic, or terminal illnesses.

Such services shall be provided within or outside the home of the child, be short-term care (ranging from a few hours to a few weeks of time, per year), and be intended to enable the family to stay together and to keep the child living in the home and community of the child.

SEC. 210. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title, $66,000,000 for fiscal year 1997 and such sums as may be necessary.

ENDNOTE

⁴ This paragraph is numbered in error and should be understood as paragraph (12).