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HR 2217 114th Congress House

Caring Start Act of 2015

Official title: To amend the Head Start Act to promote trauma-informed practices, age-appropriate positive behavioral intervention and support, services for young children who… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend the Head Start Act to promote trauma-informed practices, age-appropriate positive behavioral intervention and support, services for young children who have experienced trauma or toxic stress, and improved coordination between Head Start agencies and other programs that serve very young children.

Introduced: July 23, 2015 Introduced by: Clark, Katherine M. Democratic · Massachusetts See on congress.gov
Education Child care and developmentChild safety and welfareDomestic violence and child abuseEducation of the disadvantaged
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Education programs fundingMental healthPreschool educationTeaching, teachers, curricula
This bill died when the 114th Congress ended
It never became law before the 114th Congress (2015–2016) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Nov 16, 2015
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
May 1, 2015
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
May 1, 2015
Introduced in House
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 Latest action November 16, 2015

Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Caring Start Act of 2015

This bill amends the Head Start Act to require that in providing and allocating resources for training and technical assistance, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) give priority consideration to activities that:

  • support the implementation of evidence-based trauma-informed practices, age-appropriate positive behavioral interventions and supports, early childhood mental health consultation, and prevention of suspension and expulsion; and
  • increase coordination between Head Start agencies and other programs that serve very young children.

Such assistance must also, to the maximum extent practicable, assist Head Start agencies in adopting evidence-based approaches to best identify and serve children whose experiences have elicited a toxic stress response. (Toxic stress response can result from strong or prolonged adversity without adequate adult support.)

HHS shall fund personnel training in:

  • evidence-based trauma-informed practices, as well as early childhood mental health consultation and age-appropriate positive behavioral interventions and supports; and
  • helping children who are victims of trauma or toxic stress.
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2217: Caring Start Act of 2015. 114th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-2217/
MLA
"H.R. 2217: Caring Start Act of 2015." 114th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-2217/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2217, 114th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-2217/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2217: Caring Start Act of 2015](https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-2217/)
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