Calling All Changemakers: Help Shape Delaware’s Home Visiting Core Competencies

By Asaiah Beaman Fisher, Home Visiting Training and Support Coordinator, PCAD

What does it truly take to be an effective Family Support Specialist? How can we ensure consistency, clarity, and excellence across all Home Visiting Programs in Delaware?

These are the driving questions behind the launch of the Home Visiting Core Competency Workgroup, a new collaborative effort led by Prevent Child Abuse Delaware (PCAD). This group will work together to co-design a shared set of professional expectations for Delaware’s home visiting workforce. Core competencies are more than a list; they’re a roadmap. They define the knowledge, skills, and personal attributes that reflect best practices in home visiting. They help programs align training, guide new staff, and elevate the quality of care families receive — no matter which program they’re a part of.

This workgroup will:

• Gather insight from across programs and roles.
• Review national models and local needs.
• Create a Delaware-specific competency document.
• Offer recommendations for training, onboarding, and evaluation.

The result? A clearer, more united understanding of what it means to do this work well and how to grow in it.

If you’re a Family Support Specialist, supervisor, nurse, family support professional, program lead, or current/previous family enrolled, we need your voice. Your perspective matters! Interested? Complete the Delaware Home Visiting Core Competency Interest Form.

Have more questions? Contact Asaiah Beaman Fisher, home visiting training and support coordinator, at AsaiahFisher@pcadelaware.org.