(1) There is established within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services the Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) program as a voluntary statewide home visitation program, for the purpose of providing assistance to at-risk parents during the prenatal period and until the child’s third birthday. The HANDS program recognizes that parents are the primary decision-makers for their children. The goals of the HANDS program are to:
(a) Facilitate safe and healthy delivery of babies;
(b) Provide information about optimal child growth and human development; (c) Facilitate the safety and health of homes; and
(d) Encourage greater self-sufficiency of families.
(2) The cabinet shall administer the HANDS program in cooperation with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the local public health departments. The voluntary home visitation program may supplement, but shall not duplicate, any existing program that provides assistance to parents of young children.
(3) The HANDS program shall include an educational component on the recognition and prevention of pediatric abusive head trauma, as defined in KRS § 620.020.
(4) Participants in the HANDS program shall express informed consent to participate by written agreement on a form promulgated by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
Effective: July 15, 2010
History: Amended 2010 Ky. Acts ch. 171, sec. 9, effective July 15, 2010. — Amended
2005 Ky. Acts ch. 99, sec. 368, effective June 20, 2005. — Created 2000 Ky. Acts ch.
308, sec. 12, effective July 14, 2000.