We just moved closer to realizing a significant federal
investment in voluntary, high-quality evidence-based home visiting! Yesterday, Sen. Reid (D-NV) released the Senate version of health care reform, a bill that melded the efforts of the Senate Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee. It will be considered shortly by the full Senate.

Introduction of the Senate health care reform bill follows narrow passage of the House’s version of health care reform last week. Home visiting was included in both versions albeit at different funding levels. The Senate bill included $1.5 billion over 5 years in mandatory funding for state grants to support home visiting. Evidence-based, intensive home visiting programs support at-risk parents as their children’s first and best teachers and are designed to improve health outcomes for parents and children, dramatically reduce child abuse and neglect, and help assure that children enter kindergarten ready to learn.