HOME VISITING: Helping families become financially independent

Home Visiting, there is evidence it works. Programs like Nurse Family Partnership, Parents as Teachers, Healthy Families American (known in Delaware as Smart Start), and Early Head Start have proven to have many positive outcomes. Home visitors inform, support, and encourage parents to be the best they can be. The importance of birth spacing, the dangers of co-sleeping, and the benefits of quality time are a few of the daily lessons that families may learn from home visiting, but there are long term benefits too. One result of home visiting programs is that families are more likely to become financially self-sufficient. The following improvements in family economic self-sufficiency are specific to each home visiting program offered in Delaware.

Healthy Families America (Smart Start)

• Mother attending school significantly higher
• Education by year significantly higher

Nurse Family Partnership

• Number of months current partner employed significantly higher

Parents as Teachers

• Average hours per week in education or training significantly higher
• Monthly income significantly higher

What does this mean? Families who participate in home visiting are equipped with the skills and insight to stay in school and earn an income. Whereas, families who don’t participate in home visiting are less likely to earn an education and an income. A lack of education and income are huge barriers to a family’s success. Home visiting helps families become financially self-sufficient and break the cycle of poverty. Children aren’t as likely to be negatively impacted by poverty thanks to home visiting.

Providers can learn more about home visiting with the Home Visiting Provider Brief that is available on our materials page! Families can enroll in home visiting by calling Help Me Grow. Dial 2-1-1 or text 302-231-1464 to reach Help Me Grow and find out if you qualify for home visiting.