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Committee lays over funding request to sustain and expand ParentChild+ home-visiting program
Summary
House File 9-94 would provide additional funding for ParentChild+, a home-visiting early literacy and school-readiness program; providers described program outcomes and growing enrollment in Greater Minnesota and the Twin Cities.
The committee laid over House File 9-94, a bill to provide additional funding for the ParentChild+ home-visiting program, after testimony from program providers and partners describing outcomes and expanded reach.
Amy Weiss, chief program officer at Jewish Family & Children's Service (JFCS), said JFCS was the first replication site for ParentChild+ in Minnesota and that the program serves children aged 16 months to 2—2 years with twice-weekly home visits for two school years. Weiss said the program had 387 children enrolled statewide at the time of the report, with 280 in the Twin Cities and 157 in Greater Minnesota.
Sarah Wise, assistant program manager and early learning specialist, described the program's intensive model: two 30-minute home visits per week, educational books and toys for families, and modeling of language and interaction techniques that promote school readiness. Local partners, including Growing Up Healthy in Rice County, described immigrant families who gained English skills and parental supports through the program.
Sponsor and committee members laid over the bill for possible inclusion in the omnibus package, and supporters highlighted metrics such as a reported 90 percent improvement in parent-child communication techniques and higher graduation rates for participating children.
The committee will consider funding and maintenance of partner sites as part of the omnibus negotiations.
