republic-os/legal/us/code/title-42/chapter-6a/section-280h-6.md

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LegalText	42 U.S.C. § 280h–6	Infant and early childhood mental health promotion, intervention, and treatment	us	united_states_code	code_section	42	THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE	6A	PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE	280h–6	42 U.S.C. § 280h–6	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc42@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t42/s280h–6	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-42/usc42.xml	d42ee0c66a1047d10f43314da1cf03f8b86b5a73637342e6645f8ae861e5c43e	644321055a08eb1f260a6a3e31ac157fa024756abf612a9fd6857e7e400cf24e	0b7d23461cf385bc24efb7d562a6aae27d50e157169defafd2a02f27ae7108d0	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

42 U.S.C. § 280h–6 - Infant and early childhood mental health promotion, intervention, and treatment

Text

(a) Grants The Secretary shall—

(1) award grants to eligible entities to develop, maintain, or enhance infant and early childhood mental health promotion, intervention, and treatment programs, including—

(A) programs for infants and children at significant risk of developing, showing early signs of, or having been diagnosed with mental illness, including a serious emotional disturbance; and

(B) multigenerational therapy and other services that support the caregiving relationship; and

(2) ensure that programs funded through grants under this section are evidence-informed or evidence-based models, practices, and methods that are, as appropriate, culturally and linguistically appropriate, and can be replicated in other appropriate settings.

(b) Eligible children and entities In this section:

(1) Eligible child The term “eligible child” means a child from birth to not more than 12 years of age who—

(A) is at risk for, shows early signs of, or has been diagnosed with a mental illness, including a serious emotional disturbance; and

(B) may benefit from infant and early childhood intervention or treatment programs or specialized preschool or elementary school programs that are evidence-based or that have been scientifically demonstrated to show promise but would benefit from further applied development.

(2) Eligible entity The term “eligible entity” means a human services agency or nonprofit institution that—

(A) employs licensed mental health professionals who have specialized training and experience in infant and early childhood mental health assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, or is accredited or approved by the appropriate State agency, as applicable, to provide for children from infancy to 12 years of age mental health promotion, intervention, or treatment services; and

(B) provides services or programs described in subsection (a) that are evidence-based or that have been scientifically demonstrated to show promise but would benefit from further applied development.

(c) Application An eligible entity seeking a grant under subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

(d) Use of funds for early intervention and treatment programs An eligible entity may use amounts awarded under a grant under subsection (a)(1) to carry out the following:

(1) Provide age-appropriate mental health promotion and early intervention services or mental illness treatment services, which may include specialized programs, for eligible children at significant risk of developing, showing early signs of, or having been diagnosed with a mental illness, including a serious emotional disturbance. Such services may include social and behavioral services as well as multigenerational therapy and other services that support the caregiving relationship.

(2) Provide training for health care professionals with expertise in infant and early childhood mental health care with respect to appropriate and relevant integration with other disciplines such as primary care clinicians, early intervention specialists, child welfare staff, home visitors, early care and education providers, and others who work with young children and families.

(3) Provide mental health consultation to personnel of early care and education programs (including licensed or regulated center-based and home-based child care, home visiting, preschool special education, and early intervention programs) who work with children and families.

(4) Provide training for mental health clinicians in infant and early childhood in promising and evidence-based practices and models for infant and early childhood mental health treatment and early intervention, including with regard to practices for identifying and treating mental illness and behavioral disorders of infants and children resulting from exposure or repeated exposure to adverse childhood experiences or childhood trauma.

(5) Provide age-appropriate assessment, diagnostic, and intervention services for eligible children, including early mental health promotion, intervention, and treatment services.

(e) Matching funds The Secretary may not award a grant under this section to an eligible entity unless the eligible entity agrees, with respect to the costs to be incurred by the eligible entity in carrying out the activities described in subsection (d), to make available non-Federal contributions (in cash or in kind) toward such costs in an amount that is not less than 10 percent of the total amount of Federal funds provided in the grant.

(f) Technical assistance The Secretary may, directly or by awarding grants or contracts to public and private nonprofit entities, provide training and technical assistance to eligible entities to carry out activities described in subsection (d).

(g) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 399Z–2, as added Pub. L. 114–255, div. B, title X, § 10006, Dec. 13, 2016, 130 Stat. 1267; amended Pub. L. 117–328, div. FF, title I, § 1402, Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5699.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments2022—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 117–328, § 1402(2), added subsec. (f). Former subsec. (f) redesignated (g). Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 117–328, § 1402(1), (3), redesignated subsec. (f) as (g) and substituted “$50,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2023 through 2027” for “$20,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2018 through 2022”.