**(a) In general** The Secretary shall make grants to entities (referred to in this subchapter as “Early Head Start agencies”) in accordance with this section for programs (referred to in this subchapter as “Early Head Start programs”) providing family-centered services for low-income families with very young children designed to promote the development of the children, and to enable their parents to fulfill their roles as parents and to move toward self-sufficiency.
**(b) Scope and design of programs** In carrying out a program described in subsection (a), an entity receiving assistance under this section shall—
(1) provide, either directly or through referral, early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services that will enhance the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of participating children;
(2) ensure that the level of services provided to families responds to their needs and circumstances;
(3) promote positive parent-child interactions;
(4) provide services to parents to support their role as parents (including parenting skills training and training in basic child development) and services to help the families move toward self-sufficiency (including educational and employment services, as appropriate);
(5) coordinate services with services provided by programs in the State (including home-based services) and programs in the community (including programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities and programs for homeless infants and toddlers) to ensure a comprehensive array of services (such as health and mental health services and family support services);
(6) ensure that children with documented behavioral problems, including problems involving behavior related to prior or existing trauma, r
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Stable record: federal_law:legal_authorities:record_usc_de6818643f833ee4e104e203 Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-42/section-9840a-early-head-start-programs--187146d55d.md Pages: Not recorded – Not recorded Passage SHA-256: 9a60b37b7a5e20a4c56e3d4b93782fcf5010508302ffa9b178ba0d6db88ac108 Retained source evidence SHA-256: 28b58e567ddaf4315de55a4108199aca8fa518a16dc6987b27d187f415d1d673
Source location: Title 42, Chapter 105, § 9840a; chapter-105-community-services-programs.md
Stored source content
**(a) In general** The Secretary shall make grants to entities (referred to in this subchapter as “Early Head Start agencies”) in accordance with this section for programs (referred to in this subchapter as “Early Head Start programs”) providing family-centered services for low-income families with very young children designed to promote the development of the children, and to enable their parents to fulfill their roles as parents and to move toward self-sufficiency.
**(b) Scope and design of programs** In carrying out a program described in subsection (a), an entity receiving assistance under this section shall—
(1) provide, either directly or through referral, early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services that will enhance the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of participating children;
(2) ensure that the level of services provided to families responds to their needs and circumstances;
(3) promote positive parent-child interactions;
(4) provide services to parents to support their role as parents (including parenting skills training and training in basic child development) and services to help the families move toward self-sufficiency (including educational and employment services, as appropriate);
(5) coordinate services with services provided by programs in the State (including home-based services) and programs in the community (including programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities and programs for homeless infants and toddlers) to ensure a comprehensive array of services (such as health and mental health services and family support services);
(6) ensure that children with documented behavioral problems, including problems involving behavior related to prior or existing trauma, receive appropriate screening and referral;
(7) ensure formal linkages with local Head Start programs in order to provide for continuity of services for children and families;
(8) develop and implement a systematic procedure for transitioning children and parents from an Early Head Start program to a Head Start program or other local early childhood education and development program;
(9) establish channels of communication between staff of the Early Head Start program, and staff of a Head Start program or other local providers of early childhood education and development programs, to facilitate the coordination of programs;
(10) in the case of a Head Start agency that operates a program and that also provides Head Start services through the age of mandatory school attendance, ensure that children and families participating in the program receive such services through such age;
(11) ensure formal linkages with providers of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ([20 U.S.C. 1400](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title20-section1400&num=0&edition=prelim) et seq.), with the State interagency coordinating council, as established in part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ([20 U.S.C. 1431](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title20-section1431&num=0&edition=prelim) et seq.), and with the agency responsible for administering [section 5106a of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section5106a&num=0&edition=prelim);
(12) meet such other requirements concerning design and operation of the program described in subsection (a) as the Secretary may establish.
**(c) Persons eligible to participate** Persons who may participate in programs described in subsection (a) include—
(1) pregnant women; and
(2) families with children under age 3;
who meet the eligibility criteria specified in [section 9840(a)(1) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9840/a/1&num=0&edition=prelim), including the criteria specified in [section 9840(a)(1)(B)(ii) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9840/a/1/B/ii&num=0&edition=prelim).
**(d) Eligible service providers** To be eligible to receive assistance under this section, an entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. Entities that may apply to carry out activities under this section include—
(1) entities operating Head Start programs under this subchapter;
(2) entities operating Indian Head Start programs or migrant or seasonal Head Start programs; and
(3) other public entities, and nonprofit or for-profit private entities, including community-based and faith-based organizations, capable of providing child and family services that meet the standards for participation in programs under this subchapter and meet such other appropriate requirements relating to the activities under this section as the Secretary may establish.
**(e) Selection of grant recipients** The Secretary shall award grants under this section on a competitive basis to applicants meeting the criteria specified in subsection (d) (giving priority to entities with a record of providing early, continuous, and comprehensive childhood development and family services).
**(f) Distribution** In awarding grants to eligible applicants under this section, the Secretary shall—
(1) ensure an equitable national geographic distribution of the grants; and
(2) award grants to applicants proposing to serve communities in rural areas and to applicants proposing to serve communities in urban areas.
**(g) Monitoring, training, technical assistance, and evaluation**
(1) **Requirement** — In order to ensure the successful operation of programs assisted under this section, the Secretary shall use funds made available under [section 9835(a)(2)(E) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9835/a/2/E&num=0&edition=prelim) to monitor the operation of such programs, and funds made available under [section 9835(a)(2)(C)(i)(I) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9835/a/2/C/i/I&num=0&edition=prelim) to provide training and technical assistance tailored to the particular needs of such programs, consistent with [section 9835(c) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9835/c&num=0&edition=prelim).
(2) **Training and technical assistance**
(A) *Activities* — Of the portion set aside under [section 9835(a)(2)(C)(i)(I) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9835/a/2/C/i/I&num=0&edition=prelim)—
(i) not less than 50 percent shall be made available to Early Head Start agencies to use directly, which may include, at their discretion, the establishment of local or regional agreements with community experts, institutions of higher education, or private consultants, for training and technical assistance activities in order to make program improvements identified by such agencies;
(ii) not less than 25 percent shall be available to the Secretary to support a State-based training and technical assistance system, or a national system, described in [section 9843(e) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9843/e&num=0&edition=prelim), including infant and toddler specialists, to support Early Head Start agencies, consistent with subparagraph (B); and
(iii) the remainder of such amount shall be made available to the Secretary to assist Early Head Start agencies in meeting and exceeding the standards described in [section 9836a(a)(1) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9836a/a/1&num=0&edition=prelim) (directly, or through grants, contracts, or other agreements or arrangements with an entity with demonstrated expertise relating to infants, toddlers, and families) by—
(I) providing ongoing training and technical assistance to Early Head Start agencies, including developing training and technical assistance materials and resources to support program development and improvement and best practices in providing services to children and families served by Early Head Start programs;
(II) supporting a national network of infant and toddler specialists designed to improve the quality of Early Head Start programs;
(III) providing ongoing training and technical assistance on Early Head Start program development and improvement for regional staff charged with monitoring and overseeing the administration of the program carried out under this section; and
(IV) if funds remain after the activities described in subclauses (I), (II), and (III) are carried out, carry out 1 or more of the following activities:
(aa) Providing support and program planning and implementation assistance for new Early Head Start agencies, including for agencies who want to use funds as described in [section 9840(a)(5) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9840/a/5&num=0&edition=prelim) to serve infants and toddlers.
(bb) Creating special training and technical assistance initiatives targeted to serving high-risk populations, such as children in the child welfare system and homeless children.
(cc) Providing professional development designed to increase program participation for underserved populations of eligible children.
(B) *Contracts* — For the purposes of supporting a State-based system, as described in subparagraph (A)(ii), that will meet the needs of Early Head Start agencies and provide high-quality, sustained, and intensive training and technical assistance on programming for infants and toddlers to Early Head Start agencies, and in order to help such agencies meet or exceed the standards described in [section 9836a(a)(1) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9836a/a/1&num=0&edition=prelim), the Secretary shall—
(i) use funds reserved under subparagraph (A)(ii) in combination with funds reserved under [section 9835(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(bb) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9835/a/2/C/i/II/bb&num=0&edition=prelim) to ensure the contracts described in [section 9843(e)(1) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9843/e/1&num=0&edition=prelim) provide for a minimum of 1 full-time specialist with demonstrated expertise in the development of infants and toddlers; and
(ii) ensure that such contracts and the services provided in the contracts are integrated with and augment the contracts awarded and services provided under [section 9843(e) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9843/e&num=0&edition=prelim);
**(h) Center-based staff** The Secretary shall—
(1) ensure that, not later than September 30, 2010, all teachers providing direct services to children and families participating in Early Head Start programs located in Early Head Start centers, have a minimum of a child development associate credential, and have been trained (or have equivalent coursework) in early childhood development; and
(2) establish staff qualification goals to ensure that not later than September 30, 2012, all such teachers have been trained (or have equivalent coursework) in early childhood development with a focus on infant and toddler development.
**(i) Staff qualifications and development**
(1) **Home visitor staff standards** — In order to further enhance the quality of home visiting services provided to families of children participating in home-based, center-based, or combination program options under this subchapter, the Secretary shall establish standards for training, qualifications, and the conduct of home visits for home visitor staff in Early Head Start programs.
(2) **Contents of standards** — The standards for training, qualifications, and the conduct of home visits shall include content related to—
(A) structured child-focused home visiting that promotes parents’ ability to support the child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development;
(B) effective strengths-based parent education, including methods to encourage parents as their child’s first teachers;
(C) early childhood development with respect to children from birth through age 3;
(D) methods to help parents promote emergent literacy in their children from birth through age 3, including use of research-based strategies to support the development of literacy and language skills for children who are limited English proficient;
(E) ascertaining what health and developmental services the family receives and working with providers of these services to eliminate gaps in service by offering annual health, vision, hearing, and developmental screening for children from birth to entry into kindergarten, when needed;
(F) strategies for helping families coping with crisis; and
(G) the relationship of health and well-being of pregnant women to prenatal and early child development.
Cross-references
Connections may be documented source relationships, shared citations or nearby passages. Each explains its basis; a connection alone does not establish applicability to your situation.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Short title** This chapter may be cited as the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act”.
**(b) Omitted**
**(c) Findings** Congress finds the following:
(1) Disability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the right of individuals to participate in or contribute to society. Improving educational results for children with disabilities is an essential element of our national policy of ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.
(2) Before the date of enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (Public Law 94–142), the educational needs of millions of children with disabilities were not being fully met because—
(A) the children did not receive appropriate educational services;
(B) the children were excluded entirely from the public school system and from being educated with their peers;
(C) undiagnosed disabilities prevented the children from having a successful educational experience; or
(D) a lack of adequate resources within the public school system forced families to find services outside the public school system.
(3) Since the enactment and implementation of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, this chapter has been successful in ensuring children with disabilities and the families of such children access to a free appropriate public education and in improving educational results for children with disabilities.
(4) However, the implementation of this chapter has been impeded by low expectations, and an insufficient focus on applying replicable research on proven methods of teaching and learning for children with disabilities.
(5) Almost 30 years of research and experience has
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. The source passage cites 20 U.S.C. § 1400. This identifies an authority to review, not proof of applicability.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
§ 1400. Short title; findings; purposes
(a) Short title
This chapter may be cited as the ‘‘Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act’’.
(b) Omitted
(c) Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1) Disability is a natural part of the human
experience and in no way diminishes the right
of individuals to participate in or contribute
to society. Improving educational results for
children with disabilities is an essential ele-
ment of our national policy of ensuring equal-
Page 928
TITLE 20—EDUCATION
§ 1400
ity of opportunity, full participation, inde-
pendent living, and economic self-sufficiency
for individuals with disabilities.
(2) Before the date of enactment of the Edu-
cation for All Handicapped Children Act of
1975 (Public Law 94–142), the educational needs
of millions of children with disabilities were
not being fully met because—
(A) the children did not receive appro-
priate educational services;
(B) the children were excluded entirely
from the public school system and from
being educated with their peers;
(C) undiagnosed disabilities prevented the
children from having a successful edu-
cational experience; or
(D) a lack of adequate resources within the
public school system forced families to find
services outside the public school system.
(3) Since the enactment and implementation
of the Education for All Handicapped Children
Act of 1975, this chapter has been successful in
ensuring children with disabilities and the
families of such children access to a free ap-
propriate public education and in improving
educational results for children with disabil-
ities.
(4) However, the implementation of this
chapter has been impeded by low expectations,
and
an
insufficient
focus
on
applying
replicable research on proven methods of
t
Stored review status: historical_2024_not_currentness_verified. The source passage cites 20 U.S.C. § 1400. This identifies an authority to review, not proof of applicability.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Findings** Congress finds that there is an urgent and substantial need—
(1) to enhance the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities, to minimize their potential for developmental delay, and to recognize the significant brain development that occurs during a child’s first 3 years of life;
(2) to reduce the educational costs to our society, including our Nation’s schools, by minimizing the need for special education and related services after infants and toddlers with disabilities reach school age;
(3) to maximize the potential for individuals with disabilities to live independently in society;
(4) to enhance the capacity of families to meet the special needs of their infants and toddlers with disabilities; and
(5) to enhance the capacity of State and local agencies and service providers to identify, evaluate, and meet the needs of all children, particularly minority, low-income, inner city, and rural children, and infants and toddlers in foster care.
**(b) Policy** It is the policy of the United States to provide financial assistance to States—
(1) to develop and implement a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system that provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families;
(2) to facilitate the coordination of payment for early intervention services from Federal, State, local, and private sources (including public and private insurance coverage);
(3) to enhance State capacity to provide quality early intervention services and expand and improve existing early intervention services being provided to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families; and
(4) to encourage States to expand opportunities for children under 3 years of age who would be at risk
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. The source passage cites 20 U.S.C. § 1431. This identifies an authority to review, not proof of applicability.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
§ 1431. Findings and policy
(a) Findings
Congress finds that there is an urgent and sub-
stantial need—
(1) to enhance the development of infants
and toddlers with disabilities, to minimize
their potential for developmental delay, and
to recognize the significant brain development
that occurs during a child’s first 3 years of
life;
(2) to reduce the educational costs to our so-
ciety, including our Nation’s schools, by mini-
mizing the need for special education and re-
lated services after infants and toddlers with
disabilities reach school age;
(3) to maximize the potential for individuals
with disabilities to live independently in soci-
ety;
(4) to enhance the capacity of families to
meet the special needs of their infants and
toddlers with disabilities; and
(5) to enhance the capacity of State and
local agencies and service providers to iden-
tify, evaluate, and meet the needs of all chil-
dren, particularly minority, low-income, inner
city, and rural children, and infants and tod-
dlers in foster care.
(b) Policy
It is the policy of the United States to provide
financial assistance to States—
(1) to develop and implement a statewide,
comprehensive,
coordinated,
multidisci-
plinary, interagency system that provides
early intervention services for infants and tod-
dlers with disabilities and their families;
(2) to facilitate the coordination of payment
for early intervention services from Federal,
State, local, and private sources (including
public and private insurance coverage);
(3) to enhance State capacity to provide
quality early intervention services and expand
and improve existing early intervention serv-
ices being provided to infants and toddlers
with disabilities and their families; and
(4) to encourage States to expand opp
Stored review status: historical_2024_not_currentness_verified. The source passage cites 20 U.S.C. § 1431. This identifies an authority to review, not proof of applicability.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
§ 9840a. Early Head Start programs
(a) In general
The Secretary shall make grants to entities
(referred to in this subchapter as ‘‘Early Head
Start agencies’’) in accordance with this section
for programs (referred to in this subchapter as
‘‘Early Head Start programs’’) providing family-
centered services for low-income families with
very young children designed to promote the de-
velopment of the children, and to enable their
parents to fulfill their roles as parents and to
move toward self-sufficiency.
(b) Scope and design of programs
In carrying out a program described in sub-
section (a), an entity receiving assistance under
this section shall—
(1) provide, either directly or through refer-
ral, early, continuous, intensive, and com-
prehensive child development and family sup-
port services that will enhance the physical,
Page 7882
TITLE 42—THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
§ 9840a
social, emotional, and intellectual develop-
ment of participating children;
(2) ensure that the level of services provided
to families responds to their needs and cir-
cumstances;
(3) promote positive parent-child inter-
actions;
(4) provide services to parents to support
their role as parents (including parenting
skills training and training in basic child de-
velopment) and services to help the families
move toward self-sufficiency (including edu-
cational and employment services, as appro-
priate);
(5) coordinate services with services pro-
vided by programs in the State (including
home-based services) and programs in the
community (including programs for infants
and toddlers with disabilities and programs for
homeless infants and toddlers) to ensure a
comprehensive array of services (such as
health and mental health services and family
support services);