STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2151

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 3019
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 3019 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE HEALTHY
     START PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make an appropriation for
the Healthy Start program.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Health, Department of Education, Hawaii
Family Support Services-Healthy Start, Maui Family Support
Services, Inc., Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii, American Academy of
Pediatrics Hawaii Chapter, Parents and Children Together,
Catholic Charities, Family Support Services of West Hawaii, Child
and Family Services, Easter Seals, and a private individual.

     Healthy Start was developed to identify children at risk at
birth, those born into overburdened families with multiple
stresses and risk factors, such as domestic violence, substance
abuse, mental retardation and mental illness, and single and teen
parents without support systems.  Families in need of extra
support are enrolled in home visiting services on a voluntary
basis.  Home visitors seek to reduce the stresses that typically
precipitate abuse and neglect, foster positive parenting skills
and positive parent-child relationships, and strengthen self-
sufficiency of parents to provide safe and caring homes for their
children.  Healthy Start has been a proven success.

 
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     A recent study by Survey Marketing Services showed that
Healthy Start is considered the most effective of the current
child welfare reform efforts in Hawaii and to be the most
promising service to reduce child abuse in the future.  The
Blueprint for Change conducted a cost benefit study which showed
prevention of child abuse through the Healthy Start program to
have a cost benefit ratio of nearly three-to-one over treatment
services.  This study considered short-term savings for child
protective services, foster care, and children's mental health.
Healthy Start is also recognized nationwide as an effective
prevention program for children and has been used as a model
program by other states in recent years.

     Your Committee recognizes that there is much that can and
should be done as investments in assuring that Hawaii's children
get a safe start in life and arrive in school healthy and ready
to learn.  Healthy Start is a foundation for these efforts and
must be maintained with state funding, with the intention of
expansion to all families of infants and children at risk.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 3019 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and
be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health and Human
                                   Services,



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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