Home Visiting

Home Visiting

Ensure that each child can grow up in a stable and healthy home environment. Evidence-based home visiting programs help parents and others raising children with the supports necessary to improve maternal and child health, including mental health, improve child development and school readiness, promote family economic self-sufficiency, promote positive parenting practices, reduce abuse and neglect, and address substance use disorders.  

With far too few Pennsylvania families receiving these services, we are working to expand its reach, especially for those who are new to parenthood and/or have limited resources.  

Home Visiting Policy Goals

  • Increase the number of children and families receiving evidence-based home visiting services. 
  • Support the home visiting workforce and program sustainability by ensuring adequate staffing corresponds with service expansion and building a qualified and retaining a qualified and culturally informed workforce to meet families’ needs.  
  • Explore more opportunities for crossover and coordination as part of the broader work of services and supports for families with young children, since home visiting has an expansive reach (i.e., early intervention, maternal health, nutrition, housing, children’s physical and mental health).  

Home Visiting Publications

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Childhood Begins at Home Campaign

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is a governing body member and leads the day-to-day management of Childhood Begins at Home, a statewide campaign to help policymakers and the public understand the value of and support public investments in evidence-based home visiting.

Childhood Begins at Home Logo

To learn more, visit: childhoodbeginsathome.org.

 

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Fast Facts about Home Visiting in PA

  • Unmet Need
    • Only 7% of Pennsylvania low-income families who could benefit the most receive evidence-based home visiting services. 
    • 20,665 Pennsylvania families receive evidence-based home visiting services.
  • Children and families in each of the state’s 67 counties receive voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services. 
  • Percentage of children served by Race/Ethnicity: 
    • 2% of Asian (Non-Hispanic) children receive home visiting services 
    • 4% of Black (Non-Hispanic) children receive home visiting services 
    • 5% of Hispanic or Latino children receive home visiting services 
    • 4% of White (Non-Hispanic) children receive home visiting services 
    • 3% of children who identify as two or more races/ethnicities receive home visiting services

Eight evidence-based home visiting models operate in Pennsylvania and receive state funds:

  • Child First
  • Early Head Start
  • Family Check-Up®
  • Family Connects
  • Healthy Families America
  • Nurse-Family Partnership
  • Parents as Teachers
  • SafeCare Augmented®

Evidence-based home visiting models are proven to meet families’ needs in one or more of the following outcomes: 

  • Child development and school readiness
  • Child health
  • Family economic self-sufficiency
  • Linkages and referrals
  • Maternal health 
  • Positive parenting practices
  • Reductions in child maltreatment
  • Reductions in juvenile delinquency, family violence and crime
  • 3,109 members served in the Medical Assistance Maternal Home Visiting Program