REPORT TITLE:
Healthy Start; Appropriation


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriate funds for the Healthy Start Program.  (SB178 HD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        178
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR HEALTHY START. 


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Child abuse and neglect cause mental health
 
 2 problems in children, which is one of the most critical health
 
 3 issues for the State.  Cases of child abuse have escalated in
 
 4 numbers and severity, with the most severe cases in the younger
 
 5 than five population.  The Roundtable on Child Protective
 
 6 Services has met over the last year to develop solutions, such as
 
 7 support for the principles of the Healthy Start program.
 
 8      Healthy Start has had demonstrated success since its
 
 9 inception in 1985.  Healthy Start is engaged in the prevention of
 
10 child abuse and neglect through early intervention with family
 
11 support, parenting education and informal, counselling services.
 
12 Providing these kinds of interventions from birth for families at
 
13 risk has proven to be effective and cost-effective in prevention
 
14 of child abuse and neglect.  Of the thousands of high risk
 
15 families served by the program over the past fourteen years,
 
16 ninety-nine per cent have not been involved in confirmed child
 
17 abuse, and ninety-seven per cent have not been involved in child
 
18 neglect over those years.    
 

 
Page 2                                                     178
                                     S.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      There is a critical and continuing need for Healthy Start.
 
 2 Risk profiles of the State's population as identified through
 
 3 hospital screening processes indicate a twenty to thirty per cent
 
 4 increase in risk rates for child abuse and neglect among families
 
 5 in the State since 1985, and an increase in families with
 
 6 multiple serious risk factors such as substance abuse, domestic
 
 7 violence, and mental health problems.
 
 8      Because there are more high risk families with multiple
 
 9 serious problems, Healthy Start needs the professional capacity
 
10 to assess and address the needs of these families in addition to
 
11 providing basic home visiting services of lay workers.
 
12      The purpose of this Act is to appropriate moneys for the
 
13 operating expenses of Healthy Start.
 
14      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
15 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1 or so much thereof
 
16 as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 and $1 or so much
 
17 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001 to carry
 
18 out the purposes of this Act, including the hiring of necessary
 
19 staff.
 
20      SECTION 3.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
21 department of health for the purposes of this Act. 
 
22      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.