Dad and baby

Model Profiles

Arizona Health Start Program

Arizona Health Start Program provides education, support, and advocacy services to expectant caregivers and families of young children. The model’s main goals are to increase prenatal services; reduce the incidence of low birthweight children; increase the number of children receiving age-appropriate immunizations by age 2; and educate families on the importance of good nutritional habits, developmental assessments, and preventive healthcare.

What is the model’s approach to providing home visiting services?

Home visits take place at least once per month. Families with higher needs may receive up to four visits per month. Services are provided prenatally until the child is 2 years old. Arizona Health Start Program recommends families initiate services prenatally, though families may enroll at any point before the child turns 2 years old.

Arizona Health Start Program’s service population includes the following:

  • Expectant caregivers
  • Families with a history of child abuse or neglect/involvement with child welfare system
  • Caregivers experiencing a high-risk pregnancy
  • Caregivers with previous or current chronic conditions

Who is implementing the model?

Home Visitors

The model requires a high school diploma or equivalent for home visitors; it recommends an educational background in maternal child health and early childhood development and completion of the Community Health Worker Core Competency Training. The maximum caseload requirement for home visitors is 40 families.

Supervisors

The model requires supervisors to have experience in early education, home visiting, child health and/or development, and in staff supervision and working with children and families. The model recommends at least a bachelor’s degree for supervisors.

Where is the model implemented?

Arizona Health Start Program operated in 1 state in 2022.

 

Families Served Through Home Visiting in 2022

17,333
home visits provided
including 8,612 virtual visits
1,722
families served
1,536
children served

Caregiver age

19% ≤21 years

39% 22-29 years

41% 30-44 years

<1% ≥45 years

Caregiver education

27% No HS diploma

38% HS diploma or GED

27% Some college or training

8% Bachelor's degree or higher

Ethnicity

66% Hispanic or Latino

34% Not Hispanic or Latino

Household income

84% Low-income status

16% Not low-income status

Primary language

58% English

40% Spanish

2% Another language

Child insurance status

87% Public

10% Private

3% None

Child age

70% <1 year

30% 1-2 years

0% 3-5 years

Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding. • To protect confidentiality, race and ethnicity categories with 10 or fewer caregivers were replaced with *.