House Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. House of Representatives

Thank you Chairman Miller, and good morning. We’re here today to examine the Education Begins at Home Act, a bill that authorizes approximately half a billion dollars to establish or expand programs that provide home visitation services for families.

I appreciate that we’re here for a legislative hearing, particularly given the significant size and scope of this proposal.  Today’s hearing gives us an important opportunity to consider not only the broad concept of home visitations – which are generally intended to improve child development, child health and wellness, and parenting practices – but also to look at the specific details of the legislation that has been proposed.

In recent years, our committee has focused on authorizing and funding programs with proven results.  We know that programs backed by sound scientific research can help ensure more meaningful results for children, a goal we all share whether we’re talking about effective reading and mathematics instruction or Head Start reform or any number of other programs.

To that end, I’m anxious to hear more today about the research surrounding home visitation programs.  What effects have been demonstrated when it comes to cognitive development, school preparedness, and parenting skills?  Have some programs been shown to be more effective than others?  Are home visits helpful in their own right, or only when paired with other services?

I’m also interested in a discussion about how best to target federal resources.  Traditionally, federal intervention in this area has focused on disadvantaged children.

Take the Early Head Start program, for example.  In that program, we have explored the use of home visits to strengthen parenting skills and cognitive development in a way that complements the services provided through Early Head Start.  This approach ensures that we’re reaching the children most likely to require additional support in order to start school on par with their more advantaged peers.

Today’s hearing will allow us to explore these and many other questions about the Education Begins at Home Act.  I want to thank our distinguished panel of witnesses for joining us, sharing their views, and allowing us to benefit from their varied areas of expertise.

There are a range of perspectives on this issue, each of which will be valuable in our deliberations.  I intend to focus today on the questions I just posed, including whether there are proven strategies for success in this field and how best to target resources to those most in need.

Once again, I thank the chairman for holding this hearing, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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