Early Childhood Mental Health Support Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9045 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9045

   To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to identify,
 review, and implement effective interventions in Head Start programs,
                        and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 29, 2026

Mr. DeSaulnier introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
                  Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to identify,
 review, and implement effective interventions in Head Start programs,
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Early Childhood Mental Health
Support Act''.

SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION OF EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS IN HEAD START
              PROGRAMS.

    (a) Interventions That Improve Social-Emotional and Behavioral
Health of Children.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human
        Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for the
        Administration for Children and Families, (in this section
        referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall identify and review
        interventions, best practices, curricula, and staff trainings--
                    (A) that improve the behavioral health of children;
                and
                    (B) that are evidence based.
            (2) Focus.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary
        shall focus on interventions, best practices, curricula, and
        staff trainings that--
                    (A) can be delivered by a provider or other staff
                member in or associated with a Head Start program or
                Early Head Start center;
                    (B) are demonstrated to improve or support healthy
                social, emotional, or cognitive development for
                children in Head Start or Early Head Start programs,
                with an empirical or theoretical relationship to later
                mental health or substance abuse outcomes;
                    (C) involve changes to center-wide policies or
                practices, or other services and supports offered in
                conjunction with Head Start programs or Early Head
                Start centers, including services provided to adults or
                families (with or without a child present) for the
                benefit of the children;
                    (D) demonstrate effectiveness across racial,
                ethnic, and geographic populations or demonstrate the
                capacity to be adapted to be effective across
                populations;
                    (E) offer a tiered approach to addressing need,
                including--
                            (i) universal interventions for all
                        children;
                            (ii) selected prevention for children
                        demonstrating increased need; and
                            (iii) indicated prevention for children
                        demonstrating substantial need;
                    (F) incorporate trauma-informed care approaches; or
                    (G) have a proven record of improving early
                childhood and social emotional development.
    (b) Interventions That Support Staff Wellness.--In carrying out
subsection (a), the Secretary shall identify and review interventions,
best practices, curricula, and staff trainings that support staff
wellness and self-care.
    (c) Credentials.--In carrying out subsections (a) and (b), the
Secretary, in consultation with relevant experts, shall determine the
appropriate credentials for individuals who deliver the interventions,
best practices, curricula, and staff trainings identified by the
Secretary.
    (d) Consultation; Public Input.--In carrying out this section, the
Secretary shall--
            (1) consult with relevant agencies, experts, academics,
        think tanks, and nonprofit organizations with expertise in
        early childhood, mental health, and trauma-informed care,
        including the National Institute of Mental Health, the
        Administration for Children and Families, the Substance Abuse
        and Mental Health Services Administration, the Institute of
        Education Sciences, and the Centers for Disease Control and
        Prevention; and
            (2) solicit public input on--
                    (A) the design of the reviews under subsections (a)
                and (b); and
                    (B) the findings and conclusions resulting from
                such reviews.
    (e) Timing.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) complete the initial reviews required by subsections
        (a) and (b) not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
        of this Act; and
            (2) update such reviews and the findings and conclusions
        therefrom at least every 5 years.
    (f) Reporting.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit
to Congress a report on the results of implementing this section.

SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTING THE INTERVENTIONS IN HEAD START PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--The Assistant Secretary for the Administration for
Children and Families shall award grants to participating Head Start
agencies to implement the interventions, best practices, curricula, and
staff trainings that are identified pursuant to section 2.
    (b) Requirements.--The Assistant Secretary shall ensure that grants
awarded under this section are awarded to grantees representing a
diversity of geographic areas across the United States, including
urban, suburban, and rural areas.

SEC. 4. EVALUATING IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERVENTIONS IN HEAD START
              PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting
through the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and in
coordination with the Assistant Secretary for the Administration for
Children and Families, shall--
            (1) determine whether the interventions, best practices,
        curricula, and staff trainings implemented pursuant to section
        3--
                    (A) are effectively implemented pursuant to section
                3 and other relevant provisions of law such that the
                anticipated effect sizes of the interventions, best
                practices, curricula, and staff trainings are achieved;
                and
                    (B) yield long-term savings;
            (2) develop a method for making the determination required
        by paragraph (1);
            (3) ensure that such method includes competency and testing
        approaches, performance or outcome measures, or any other
        methods deemed appropriate by the Assistant Secretary, taking
        into consideration existing monitoring components of the Head
        Start and Early Head Start programs; and
            (4) solicit public input on the design, findings, and
        conclusions of this process and shall consider whether updates
        are necessary at least every 5 years.
    (b) Process.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary of
Health and Human Services shall--
            (1) conduct any research and evaluation studies needed; and
            (2) solicit public input on--
                    (A) the design of the method developed pursuant to
                subsection (a)(2); and
                    (B) the resulting findings and conclusions.
    (c) Timing.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall--
            (1) develop the method required by subsection (a)(2) and
        make the initial determination required by subsection (a)(1)
        not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act;
        and
            (2) update such method and determination at least every 5
        years.

SEC. 5. IMPLEMENTING THE EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR HEAD START PROGRAMS.

    (a) Evaluation Method.--The Assistant Secretary for the
Administration for Children and Families shall implement the evaluation
method developed pursuant to section 4(a) in the Head Start program as
a voluntary mechanism for interested Head Start programs or Early Head
Start centers to evaluate the extent to which such programs or centers
have effectively implemented the interventions, best practices,
curricula, and staff trainings identified pursuant to section 2, with
minimal burden or disruption to programs and centers interested in
participating.
    (b) Technical Assistance.--The Assistant Secretary for the
Administration for Children and Families shall provide guidance, tools,
resources, and technical assistance to grantees for implementing and
evaluating interventions, best practices, curricula, and staff
trainings identified pursuant to section 2 and optimizing the
performance of such grantees on the annual evaluations.

SEC. 6. BEST PRACTICE CENTERS.

    The Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and
Families may fund up to 5 Best Practice Centers in Early Childhood
Training in universities and colleges to prepare future Head Start
agencies and staff able to deliver the interventions, best practices,
curricula, and staff trainings identified pursuant to section 2.

SEC. 7. FUNDING.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated $100,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2027 through
2036 for carrying out sections 3(b), 4, and 6.
    (b) Availability of Appropriations.--Amounts authorized to be
appropriated by subsection (a) are authorized to remain available until
expended.
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