Home Visiting for Families with Young Children: The Benefits and the Challenges

Home visiting has long been a primary mode of service delivery for maternal and child health-related programs. Historically, these programs have ensured the provision of necessary services to vulnerable families and children who might not otherwise have had access to health, social or developmental programs. In our research with an Early Head Start program that employs a home visiting model, we have learned that home visiting contributes to positive transformation for both the child and parent. This study aimed to garner a richer understanding of why and how home visiting works. Using an ethnographic approach, we engaged Early Head Start parents, home visitors, and program leadership in the process of understanding home visiting. Group interviews, participant observation, and Photovoice methods were used in this research. This presentation will discuss the challenges involved in home visiting models but mostly will highlight the benefits and opportunities that home visiting offers the families engaged in the services. We will also discuss the community-level changes resulting from home visiting programs in underserved neighborhoods. Our findings contribute to the discussion and understanding of home visiting models for families with young children.