On June 2, 2009, Chairman Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL), and Rep.Todd Platts (R-PA) introduced the Early Support for Families Act. The Income Security and Family Support Subcommitteescheduled a hearing to review proposals to provide funding for grants to states to provide early childhood home visitation programs.

In light of the introduction of the act, Chapin Hall Research Fellow Deborah Daro testified on June 9, 2009,before the U.S. House of Representatives Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee about the benefits of home visitation programs. 

Previously, at a September 27, 2006, hearing of the U.S. House of RepresentativesSubcommittee on Education Reform, legislators discussed theeffectiveness of home visitation services in supporting the earlylearning of young children. Daro testified about recent research that shows home visitation programs canpromote early childhood learning and strengthen parent-child relationships.