Advisory Committee on the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Evaluation

The purpose of the Advisory Committee on the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Evaluation ("the Committee") is to advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the design, plan, progress, and findings of the evaluation required under the Act. Secretary Sebelius chartered the Advisory Committee on January 27, 2011.

The point of contact is T'Pring Westbrook.
 

Charter

Advisory Committee on the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Evaluation

Authority

The Advisory Committee on the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Evaluation is authorized by Section 551 (g)(1) of Title V of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 701 et seq.), as amended by Section 2951 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-148). To the extent that its provisions do not conflict with those requirements, the Committee is governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), which sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory committees.

Objectives and Scope of Activities

The purpose of the Advisory Committee on the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Evaluation ("the Committee") is to advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the design, plan, progress, and findings of the evaluation required under the Act.

Description of Duties

The Committee will advise the Secretary regarding the design, plan, progress and results of the evaluation. The evaluation will provide a state-by-state analysis of the results of the needs assessments and state actions in response to the assessments. The evaluation will also provide an assessment of the effect of early childhood home visiting programs on child and parent outcomes will respect to the benchmark areas and participant outcomes in the Act. The evaluation will provide an assessment of the effectiveness of such programs on different populations, including the extent to which the ability of programs to improve participant outcomes varies across programs and populations. Finally, the evaluation will provide an assessment of the potential for the activities conducted under the home visiting programs, if scaled broadly, to improve health care practices, eliminate health disparities, and improve health care system quality, efficiencies, and reduce costs.

Agency or Official to Whom the Committee Reports

The Committee reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Support

Coordination, management and operational services shall be provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), with assistance from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services.

Estimated Annual Operating Costs and Staff Years

The estimated annual cost for operating the Committee, including compensation and travel expenses for members but excluding staff support is $249,560. The estimated annual person-years of staff support required is 1.00 FTE, at an estimated annual cost of $156,800.

Designated Federal Officer

HRSA and ACF will each select one full-time or permanent part-time Federal employee to conserve as Designated Federal Officers (DFOs), who will ensure that all procedures followed by the Committee are within applicable statutory, regulatory, and HHS General Administration Manual directives. The DFOs will approve and prepare all meeting agendas, call all of the Committee and subcommittee meetings, adjourn any meeting with the DFOs determine adjournment to be in the public interest, and co-chair meetings when directed to do so by the official to whom the Committee reports. The DFOs or their designees shall by present at all meetings of the full Committee and subcommittees.

Estimated Number and Frequency of Meetings

Meetings shall be held up to four (4) times per year at the call of the Co-Chairs of the Committee, who shall approve the agenda. Meetings shall be open to the public except as determined by the Secretary or other official to whom the authority has been delegated in accordance with the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b (c)) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Notice of meetings shall be given to the public. Meetings shall be conducted, and records of the proceedings kept, as required by applicable laws and Departmental regulations.

Duration

Continuing

Unless renewed by appropriate action prior to its expiration, the Advisory Committee on the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Evaluation will terminate two years from the date the charter is filed.

Membership and Designation

The Committee shall consist of 25 members appointed by the Secretary. Members shall be experts in the areas of program evaluation and research, education, and early childhood development. Members shall be appointed as Special Government Employees. The Committee shall also include ex-officio members representing HRSA, ACF, and other agencies of the federal Government designated by the Secretary as ex-officio members. The HRSA Administrator and the ACF Assistant Secretary each shall recommend nominees for Co-Chairs of the Committee.

Members shall be invited to serve from the date of appointment through March 31, 2015; such terms are contingent upon the renewal of the Committee by appropriate action prior to its termination.

Subcommittees

Subcommittees may be established with the approval of the Secretary or designee. Subcommittees will be established with the approval of the Secretary or designee. Subcommittees will be composed of members of the parent committee. Subcommittees shall report back to and make recommendations to be deliberated by the parent committee. The Department Committee Management Officer will be notified upon establishment of each Subcommittees and will be provided on its name, membership, function, and estimated frequency of meetings.

Recordkeeping

The records of the Committee, established subcommittees, or other subgroups of the Committee shall be managed in accordance with General Records Schedule 26, Item 2 or other approved agency records disposition schedule. These records shall be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.

Filing Date

Approved:

Date: 01/27/2011

Kathleen Sebelius