
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC9840a]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                CHAPTER 105--COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS
 
                   SUBCHAPTER II--HEAD START PROGRAMS
 
Sec. 9840a. Early Head Start programs for families with infants 
        and toddlers
        

(a) In general

    The Secretary shall make grants, in accordance with the provisions 
of this section for 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) of this 
section, 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 
    and 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 and programs in the community (including programs for 
    infants and toddlers with disabilities) to ensure a comprehensive 
    array of services (such as health and mental health services);
        (6) ensure formal linkages with local Head Start programs in 
    order to provide for continuity of services for children and 
    families;
        (7) 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;
        (8) ensure formal linkages with the agencies and entities 
    described in section 644(b) of the Individuals with Disabilities 
    Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1444(b)) and providers of early 
    intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities 
    under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
    1400 et seq.); and
        (9) meet such other requirements concerning design and operation 
    of the program described in subsection (a) of this section as the 
    Secretary may establish.

(c) Persons eligible to participate

    Persons who may participate in programs described in subsection (a) 
of this section include--
        (1) pregnant women; and
        (2) families with children under age 3;

who meet the income criteria specified for families in section 
9840(a)(1) of this title.

(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; and
        (2) other public entities, and nonprofit or for-profit private 
    entities, 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

    From the portion specified in section 9835(a)(6) of this title, the 
Secretary shall award grants under this subsection on a competitive 
basis to applicants meeting the criteria specified in subsection (d) of 
this section (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 from the portion 
    specified in section 9835(a)(6) of this title to monitor the 
    operation of such programs, evaluate their effectiveness, and 
    provide training and technical assistance tailored to the particular 
    needs of such programs.

            (2) Training and technical assistance account

        (A) In general

            Of the amount made available to carry out this section for 
        any fiscal year, not less than 5 percent and not more than 10 
        percent shall be reserved to fund a training and technical 
        assistance account.

        (B) Activities

            Funds in the account may be used by the Secretary for 
        purposes including--
                (i) making grants to, and entering into contracts with, 
            organizations with specialized expertise relating to 
            infants, toddlers, and families and the capacity needed to 
            provide direction and support to a national training and 
            technical assistance system, in order to provide such 
            direction and support;
                (ii) providing ongoing training and technical assistance 
            for regional and program staff charged with monitoring and 
            overseeing the administration of the program carried out 
            under this section;
                (iii) providing ongoing training and technical 
            assistance for existing recipients (as of the date of such 
            training or assistance) of grants under subsection (a) of 
            this section and support and program planning and 
            implementation assistance for new recipients of such grants; 
            and
                (iv) providing professional development and personnel 
            enhancement activities, including the provision of funds to 
            recipients of grants under subsection (a) of this section 
            for the recruitment and retention of qualified staff with an 
            appropriate level of education and experience.

(Pub. L. 97-35, title VI, Sec. 645A, as added Pub. L. 103-252, title I, 
Sec. 112(a), May 18, 1994, 108 Stat. 638; amended Pub. L. 105-285, title 
I, Sec. 113, Oct. 27, 1998, 112 Stat. 2719.)

                       References in Text

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, referred to in 
subsec. (b)(8), is title VI of Pub. L. 91-230, Apr. 13, 1970, 84 Stat. 
175, as amended, which is classified generally to chapter 33 (Sec. 1400 
et seq.) of Title 20, Education. For complete classification of this Act 
to the Code, see section 1400 of Title 20 and Tables.


                               Amendments

    1998--Pub. L. 105-285, Sec. 113(1), inserted ``Early Head Start'' in 
section catchline.
    Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105-285, Sec. 113(2), substituted ``provisions 
of this section for'' for ``provisions of this section for--'', struck 
out par. (1) designation before ``programs providing'', substituted 
``self-sufficiency.'' for ``self-sufficiency; and'', and struck out par. 
(2) which read as follows: ``provision of training and technical 
assistance to entities carrying out programs, and evaluation of 
programs, that were supported under the Comprehensive Child Development 
Act (42 U.S.C. 9881 et seq.), as in effect on the day before May 18, 
1994.''
    Subsec. (b)(5). Pub. L. 105-285, Sec. 113(3)(A), inserted 
``(including programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities)'' 
after ``community''.
    Subsec. (b)(7). Pub. L. 105-285, Sec. 113(3)(B), struck out ``and'' 
at end.
    Subsec. (b)(8), (9). Pub. L. 105-285, Sec. 113(3)(C), (D), added 
par. (8) and redesignated former par. (8) as (9).
    Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105-285, Sec. 113(4)(A), substituted 
``subsection (a) of this section'' for ``subsection (a)(1) of this 
section'' in introductory provisions.
    Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 105-285, Sec. 113(4)(B), substituted ``3;'' 
for ``3 (or under age 5, in the case of children served by an entity 
specified in subsection (e)(3) of this section);''.
    Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105-285, Sec. 113(5), inserted ``and'' at end 
of par. (1), redesignated par. (3) as (2), inserted ``or for-profit'' 
after ``nonprofit'', and struck out former par. (2) which read as 
follows: ``entities that, on the day before the date of enactment of 
this section, were operating--
        ``(A) Parent-Child Centers receiving financial assistance under 
    section 9835(a)(4) of this title, as in effect on such date; or
        ``(B) programs receiving financial assistance under the 
    Comprehensive Child Development Act, as in effect on such date; 
    and''.
    Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105-285, Sec. 113(8), struck out ``other'' 
before ``grant recipients'' in heading and substituted ``From the 
portion specified in section 9835(a)(6) of this title,'' for ``From the 
balance remaining of the portion specified in section 9835(a)(6) of this 
title, after making grants to the eligible entities specified in 
subsection (e) of this section,'' in text.
    Pub. L. 105-285, Sec. 113(6), (7), redesignated subsec. (f) as (e) 
and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (e) which related to 
time-limited priority for certain entities.
    Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 105-285, Sec. 113(7), (10), added subsec. 
(g) and redesignated former subsec. (g) as (f). Former subsec. (f) 
redesignated (e).
    Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 105-285, Sec. 113(9), struck out heading and 
text of subsec. (h) which related to Secretarial responsibilities.


                             Effective Date

    Section effective May 18, 1994, but not applicable to Head Start 
agencies and other recipients of financial assistance under the Head 
Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) until Oct. 1, 1994, see section 127 
of Pub. L. 103-252, set out as an Effective Date of 1994 Amendment note 
under section 9832 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 9835 of this title.
