The Washington Post: District should expand home visiting for children

In a letter to the editor of The Washington Post, Children’s Law Center policy director Sharra Greer encouraged the District to expand its home visiting program for young children with a federal grant. “These deceptively simple programs are helpful not only to prepare young children for school but also to identify mental health needs at an early age, when they can be more easily addressed,” the letter reads.

As detailed in our Children’s Mental Health Report Card, the District received a two-year $4.5 million competitive grant to expand home visiting to serve about 400 additional families. Unfortunately, delays in the Department of Health’s contracting and procurement process mean DC is at risk of losing this money if the funds aren’t distributed soon.