KRS 211.690: Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) Program for at -

risk parents.

(1) There is established 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. The HANDS

Program recognizes that parents are the primary decision -makers for their children.

The goals of the HANDS Program shall be to:

(a) Facilitate safe and healthy delivery of babies;

(b) Provide information about optimal child growth and human development;

(c) Facilitate the safety and health of homes; and

(d) Encourage greater self-sufficiency of families.

(2) The cabinet shall administer the HANDS Program in cooperation with the Cabinet

for Health and Family Services and the local public health departments. The

voluntary home visitation program may supplement, but shall not duplicate, any

existing program that provides assistance to parents of young children.

(3) The HANDS Program shall include educational components on:

(a) The recognition and prevention of pediatric abusive head trauma, as defined

in KRS 620.020;

(b) Information related to lactati on consultation and breastfeeding information;

and

(c) Information related to the importance of safe sleep for babies as a way to

prevent sudden infant death syndrome as defined in KRS 213.011.

(4) Participants in the HANDS Program shall express informed consent to participate

by agreement on a form promulgated by the Cabinet for Health and Family

Services.

(5) Participants in the HANDS Program shall participate in the home visitation

program through in-person face -to-face methods or through tele -service delivery

methods. For the purposes of this subsection, "tele-service" means a home visitation

service provided through video communication with the HANDS provider, parent,

and child present in real time.