(a) The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall establish the structure for a state-wide Connecticut Home Visiting System, which demonstrates the benefits of preventive services by significantly reducing the abuse and neglect of infants and young children, and by enhancing parent-child relationships through community-based assessment with home outreach follow-up on infants and young children and their families within families identified as high risk.

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(b) The commissioner shall: (1) Ensure that all home visiting programs are one or more of the evidence-based home visiting models that meet the criteria for evidence of effectiveness developed by the federal Department of Health and Human Services; (2) provide oversight of home visiting programs to insure model fidelity; and (3) develop, issue and evaluate requests for proposals to procure the services required by this section. In evaluating the proposals, the commissioner shall take into consideration the most effective and consistent service delivery system allowing for the continuation of current public and private programs.

(c) The commissioner shall establish a data system to enable the programs to document the following information in a standard manner: (1) The level of screening and assessment; (2) profiles of risk and family demographics; (3) the incidence of child abuse and neglect; (4) rates of child development; and (5) any other information the commissioner deems appropriate.

(d) The commissioner shall report to the General Assembly, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on the establishment, implementation and progress of the Connecticut Home Visiting System, on July first of each year.

(e) The commissioner may expend an amount not to exceed two per cent of the amount appropriated for purposes of this section in a manner consistent with the provisions of section 10-509.