Federal Resources – New & Upcoming

Home Visitation Programs

• Created by the Affordable Care Act (Health care reform)

• Funds:– FY 2011: $250 million– FY 2012: $350 million– FY 2013: $400 million– Funds not used by state during eligible fiscal

year may be used for grants to nonprofit organizations.

Purposes of Funds

• Home Visiting programs to:– Promote maternal/prenatal/infant health– Infant health– Child health and development– Parenting related to child development

outcomes, school readiness, socioeconomic status of family, reductions in child abuse/neglect

Seeks Improvements in Benchmarks

• Improved maternal and newborn health• Prevention of child injuries, abuse, neglect,

maltreatment or emergency dept. visits• Reduction in crime or domestic violence• Improvements in family economic self-

sufficiency• Improvements in coordination and referrals for

other community resources/supports

Participant Outcomes

• Individual families should show improvements in appropriate outcomes (based on individualized assessment about what outcome measures are appropriate):– Improvements in prenatal, maternal, newborn health, including

improved pregnancy outcomes– Improvements in child health/development, including reductions

in child injuries, maltreatment, improvement in cognitive, language and physical developmental indicators

– Improvements in parenting skills– Improvements in school readiness/child academic achievement– Improvements in economic self-sufficiency – Improvements in referrals for community based

services/referrals

Priority Populations (!!)

– Eligible families living in communities of high disadvantage (defined)

– Low income eligible families– Pregnant women under 21– Families w/history of child abuse/neglect or child

welfare involved– History of substance abuse or need SA treatment – Users of tobacco products in home– Children with low student achievement– Children with developmental delays or disabilities– Children of veterans or currently serving

Funding Allocation Process

• Fall 2009 state conducted needs assessment for home visiting services and submitted state plan to HHS

• Allowed states to draw down planning resources

• Early 2010, updated state plan will be submitted to HHS re: uses of funds

• State agency responsible for distributing funds varies

• Applicants must use a prescribed home visitation model of services or conforms to new, promising approach developed or by national organization or higher education program and will be subjected to rigorous evaluation (no more than 25% of funds can be used for promising models)

Eligible Grantees Must Demonstrate:

• Adherence to a clear, consistent program model that is grounded in empirically based knowledge related to home visiting and linked to benchmark/participant goals

• Employment of well trained and competent staff such as nurses social workers, educators, child specialists and provides ongoing and specific training

• High quality supervision to establish home visitor competencies

• Strong organizational capacity to implement activities• Appropriate linkages and referral networks to other

community resources and supports• Fidelity of program implementation

Housing and Services for Homeless Persons Demonstration

• 10,000 vouchers for homeless and at-risk individuals and families – 6,000 for families

• Included in FY 2011 President’s budget request and in House/Senate Appropriations bills

• Outlook still uncertain• Requires the commitment of TANF agency to

provide services to families• Goal is integrated housing and service

intervention

Revisiting “Old” Federal Funding Opportunities: TANF

• $16.5 billion program annually

• Goals include improving self-sufficiency of low income families and providing assistance to needy families so children can be cared for in own home

How is TANF used?

• Cash Assistance to low-income families• Work supports (child care/transportation)• Employment Activities

– Subsidized employment, transitional jobs, job training, vocational rehabilitation

• Emergency Assistance– Eviction prevention, rapid re-housing– Motel vouchers, support to shelters

• Housing assistance (rental assistance)• Case management

Overcoming Barriers to Cash Assistance

• Outreach and engagement strategies– Food stamp rolls– Shelter applications

• Streamlining applications for assistance– Cincinnati

• In depth assessments (looking for “red flags”) – Minnesota

• Sanction reconciliation efforts– Pennsylvania

• Exemptions to time limits

Improving Emergency Assistance Programs

• Explore/evaluate what your local welfare agency currently offers – Outdated program restrictions?– Inefficient use of resources?– Uneven access to program resources (requires

“lucking” into informed caseworker)

• Solve their problems/Increase efficiency– Alameda – homeless programs distribute funds– Mercer – evaluated spending, proposed alternatives– Salt Lake City – propose pilots

Employment Assistance

• Become informed re: the innovations in the field to help low income parents find employment– Subsidized and transitional jobs– Job development activities– Partnering at “front door”– Marrying education/community college

• Assess whether your community is supporting innovative practices and whether your clients are receiving them.

Questions?

Sharon McDonald

National Alliance to End Homelessness

(202) 942-8253

smcdonald@naeh.org