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Model Profiles

Health Access Nurturing Development Services

Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) is a statewide home visiting program in Kentucky that provides assistance to overburdened parents during the prenatal period until their child is 3 years old. The model’s main goals are to promote healthy pregnancies and births, optimal child growth and development, safe homes, and family self-sufficiency.

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

Home visits take place weekly, beginning prenatally, until the child is 6 months old. After the child is 6 months old, visit frequency is determined by the family’s level of need. Services are offered until the child is 3 years old. HANDS requires families to initiate services prenatally or before the child is 3 months old.

HANDS’ service population includes the following:

  • Families experiencing low incomes, unstable housing, or unemployment
  • Caregivers who are unmarried or single
  • Caregivers with limited access to education
  • Families with a history of substance or tobacco use
  • Families facing challenges such as marital concerns or inadequate social networks
  • Caregivers with delayed or no prenatal care or history of abortion
  • Families experiencing mental health concerns

Who is implementing the model?

Home Visitors

HANDS was implemented by 251 full-time equivalent (FTE) home visitors in 2024. Paraprofessional home visitors must have a high school diploma. Professional home visitors must have a bachelor’s or associate’s degree in a related field or be a registered nurse or social worker. Home visitor caseloads are weighted based on families’ needs; home visitors are expected to maintain an average weighted caseload of 38 to 40 families.

Supervisors

HANDS was implemented by 60 FTE supervisors in 2024. The model requires supervisors to be an advanced registered nurse practitioner, registered nurse, or licensed social worker.

Where is the model implemented?

HANDS operated in 57 local agencies in 1 state in 2024.

 

Families Served Through Evidence-Based Home Visiting in 2024

166,499
home visits provided
including 12,025 virtual visits
6,932
families served
6,385
children served

Ethnicity

13% Hispanic or Latino

87% Not Hispanic or Latino

Caregiver age

17% ≤21 years

48% 22-29 years

34% 30-44 years

1% ≥45 years

Caregiver education

19% No HS diploma

43% HS diploma or GED

30% Some college or training

9% Bachelor's degree or higher

Household income

63% Low-income status

37% Not low-income status

Child age

47% <1 year

52% 1-2 years

2% 3-5 years

Child insurance status

89% Public

8% Private

3% None

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