Home visiting is a service delivery strategy that connects expectant parents and caregivers of young children with a designated support person—typically a trained nurse, social worker, or early childhood specialist. Services are voluntary and provided in the family’s home or at a location of their choice.
A two-generation approach, home visiting delivers both caregiver- and child-oriented services to help the whole family. It views child and family development from a holistic perspective that encompasses—
- Child health and well-being
- Child development and school readiness
- Positive caregiver-child relationships
- Caregiver health and well-being
- Family education and employment goals
- Family functioning
States, territories, the District of Columbia, and Indigenous organizations implement home visiting models that match the needs of their communities using varied funding streams, including the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program.
Home visiting has a strong evidence base, with many studies showing that it works. (Source: For a more comprehensive review of the evidence base for home visiting, see Components Associated With Home Visiting Program Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis retrieved from [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24187111](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24187111).)Go to footnote #>1 There are currently 18 evidence-based home visiting models operating in the United States that meet standards of evidence as determined by the Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE) project. (Source: The 2025 Home Visiting Yearbook defines evidence-based home visiting as models that have met standards of evidence as determined by HomVEE.)Go to footnote #>2
Helping Families Shape Their Futures
Three years ago, Mary’s Center home visitor Sayra Lopez first met with Maria,* a young woman who had emigrated from Guatemala and left high school to help care for her siblings. The two codeveloped a Family Goal Plan that focused on Maria—now a mother herself—learning English and earning a GED to build her family’s future.
These goals continue to guide Maria’s journey. She has advanced through English courses at Prince George’s Community College, gaining skills and confidence she once thought were out of reach. With Sayra’s support, Maria has also connected her progress to her role as a parent, proudly asking for child development activities in English. Next steps include enrolling in a GED program. According to Sayra, “. . . It’s been such a highlight to see a mom who came in so young and unsure grow into someone so confident and capable.”
*Pseudonym used to protect her privacy