(a) For the purpose of implementing this article, the department shall form and consult with a workgroup of stakeholders, including legislative staff, representatives of counties and county human services agencies, CalWORKs eligibility workers, home visitors with experience serving CalWORKs recipients, current or former CalWORKs clients, advocates for clients, local and state First 5 representatives, the State Department of Health Care Services, the State Department of Public Health, home visiting program administrators, home visiting program experts and advocates, and other stakeholders. The workgroup shall be maintained indefinitely to provide continuous quality improvement, utilizing the data collected and received pursuant to subdivision (c), and shall biennially provide technical assistance to county home visiting programs.
(b) The department shall convene counties with participating home visiting programs to gather twice annually, beginning April 1, 2019, to share challenges, lessons learned, and best practices. These meetings shall be open to all stakeholders described in subdivision (a).
(c) The department shall collect, and counties and participating home visitation organizations shall provide, as a condition of funding, data necessary to administer the program and also related to the outcomes of participants and children, including by race, ethnicity, national origin, primary and secondary language, and county. The data shall include program outcomes for the parents and children served in the program and these data components shall be identified in consultation with the stakeholder workgroup referenced in subdivision (a), and pursuant to subdivision (d). All state, county, and other participating organizations shall protect the personal information of individuals and families collected or maintained against loss, unauthorized access, and illegal use or disclosure, consistent with applicable state and federal laws.
(d) (1) The department shall work with at least one independent, research-based institution to identify existing, and establish additional, outcome measurements. The Legislature shall be consulted as part of the outcomes measurement development process. These measurements shall inform an evaluation report that shall be provided to the Legislature no later than January 10, 2022. The evaluation shall include program outcomes for the parents and children served in the program, models utilized, and measures specific to CalWORKs objectives. Notwithstanding any other law, the department may accept and expend funds from nongovernment sources for the evaluation, for a longitudinal study of the home visiting program that is in addition to the evaluation, or for both. The report shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following information, with respect to the period of evaluation:
(A) Rates of children receiving regular well-child checkups and, if available, immunization rates according to the American Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures guidelines.
(B) Rates of children receiving developmental screening and referrals for further assessment.
(C) Rates of participation in early learning programs.
(D) Service referrals by type.
(E) Services accessed by type.
(F) Number of home visits completed, including data on duration of families’ enrollment in home visiting services.
(G) Parental satisfaction with their gains in parenting skills and knowledge.
(H) Food and housing stability.
(I) Workforce training, employment, and financial stability.
(J) Participation in educational programs or English as a second language programs, or both, as applicable.
(K) Access to immigration services and remedies.
(L) Indicators of home visiting program workforce capacity, including demographics, characteristics, composition, including employer and certification status, and future training needs of the home visiting workforce.
(M) Child welfare referrals and outcomes.
(N) Additional descriptive and outcome indicators, as appropriate.
(2) The requirement for submitting a report pursuant to paragraph (1) is inoperative on January 10, 2026, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497, Sec. 308. (AB 991) Effective January 1, 2020.)