Let’s Thrive! Home Visiting Workforce Symposium

Connecting Delaware’s Community Health Workers and Family Support Specialists for a day of collaboration, learning, and networking.

On Thursday, Jan. 23, a group of 75 Community Health Workers and Family Support Specialists with Delaware’s Home Visiting Program gathered for “Lets Thrive! A Home Visiting Workforce Symposium” at Bally’s Dover Casino Resort.

Pregnant women and families with children up to age 5 can connect with a Family Support Specialist through Delaware’s Home Visiting Program, where they receive guidance on maternal health and child development. In 2023 alone, the Home Visiting Program conducted 13,000 home visits, supporting 1,400 families and 1,300 children.

Delaware’s Community Health Workers play an essential role in supporting Family Support Specialists by connecting them with community resources that best meet a family’s needs. Both professional groups strive to improve and advocate for the physical, social, and emotional health and well-being of all Delawareans by ensuring access to equitable care and connecting people with community resources. Their collaboration is key to helping families and children thrive.

The symposium was an opportunity for Community Health Workers and Family Support Specialists to understand how strengthening their working relationship will better support the families they serve.

Esteemed national experts joined local professionals to discuss:

• Strategies for improving consultation services in Delaware
• Addressing social determinants of health
• Emphasizing the important connection between Community Health Workers and Family Support Specialists, to ensure optimal care for all families enrolled in the Home Visiting Program

The speakers engaged attendees in interactive skits, providing them with scenarios that highlighted how the two professional groups can collaborate more effectively.

While the daylong event featured many educational opportunities, it also celebrated the outstanding work done by both groups, who continuously advocate for the families they support. The symposium served as an important step toward a unified approach to improving the community care offered by Community Health Workers and Family Support Specialists.