Krista Quarles

This administrative regulation establishes the eligibility criteria, services, provider qualifications, and appeal rights for participants of the Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) Program.

The HANDS Program supports pregnant people and parents with young children who live in communities that face greater risks and barriers to achieving positive maternal and child health outcomes. Families choose to participate in home visiting programs, and partner with health, social service, and child development professionals to set and achieve goals that improve their health and well-being.

KRS 211.690 establishes 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.

This administrative regulation ensures pregnant people or parents of young children who are at risk are appropriately identified and receive the supports and services necessary to achieve positive pregnancy and early childhood outcomes.

The amendment to this administrative regulation updates defined terms for clarification, updates the provider qualifications, removes the material incorporated by reference to conform to programmatic changes, and adds the options for tele-service delivery methods when an emergency limits the ability to provide traditional face-to-face services.

The amendment to this administrative regulation is necessary to update the defined terms, ensure a local implementing agency employs or contract with qualified staff, and to allow for the provision of tele-service delivery methods when traditional service delivery methods are not possible.

KRS 211.690 establishes 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.

KRS 211.690 establishes 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.

In fiscal year 2021 the HANDS program served 1,845 participants in 988 households. Local implementing agencies include fifty-six (56) local health departments and six (6) contracted provider agencies.

Local implementing agencies will need to ensure home visiting staff meet qualifications, will need to ensure home visiting staff and participants have the supports necessary to provide non-traditional services, and will need to ensure program participants are aware of the appeals process.

There will be no costs to participants. There will be no change in the costs to the local implementing agencies.

The goals of the HANDS program are positive pregnancy outcomes, optimal child growth and development, children live in healthy, safe homes, and families make decisions that enhance long-term independence over meeting short term or immediate needs. By participating in the HANDS program families of young children will receive supports and services that will help them help their child develop and grow.

This is an existing program, there will be no initial costs to implement this administrative regulation.

There will be no changes to the costs to implement this administrative regulation.

The source of funding for this administrative regulation is a mix of tobacco settlement dollars, federal grant funding from Health Resources and Services Administration, and Medicaid reimbursement.

An increase in funding is not necessary to implement the amendment to this administrative regulation.

There are no fees established by this administrative regulation.

Tiering is not applied as the requirements of this administrative regulation are equally applied to the regulated entities.

This administrative regulation impacts the Division of Maternal and Child Health and local health departments that participate in the HANDS program.

KRS 194A.050(1) and 211.690.

This administrative regulation does not generate revenue.

This administrative regulation does not generate revenue.

The HANDS program receives $7,000,000 in tobacco settlement funding and $7,000,000 from Health Resources and Services Administration. There will be no changes in the costs to the program.

The HANDS program receives $7,000,000 in tobacco settlement funding and $7,000,000 from Health Resources and Services Administration. There will be no change in the costs to the program.

This administrative regulation will not result in costs savings for the regulated entities.

This administrative regulation will not result in costs savings for the regulated entities.

This administrative regulation will not result in increased costs for the regulated entities.

This administrative regulation will not result in increased costs for the regulated entities.

"Major economic impact" means an overall negative or adverse economic impact from an administrative regulation of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or more on state or local government or regulated entities, in aggregate, as determined by the promulgating administrative bodies. [KRS 13A.010(13)] This administrative regulation does not have a major economic impact.