Skip to main content
HR 737 115th Congress House

Caring Start Act of 2017

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: May 22, 2018 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
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 115th Congress ended
It never became law before the 115th Congress (2017–2018) 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 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 30, 2017
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Jan 30, 2017
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action January 30, 2017

Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Caring Start Act of 2017

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 1
 Cosponsors 3
All 3 Democratic 1
Higgins, Brian
· Jun 6, 2018
 D
Adams, Alma S.
North Carolina · May 22, 2018
Reed, Tom
· Jan 30, 2017
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 737: Caring Start Act of 2017. 115th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-737/
MLA
"H.R. 737: Caring Start Act of 2017." 115th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-737/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 737, 115th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-737/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 737: Caring Start Act of 2017](https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-737/)
Report a problem