About Us
Who We Are
The Home Visiting Coalition is a diverse group of more than 700 national, state, and local organizations committed to strengthening families across the United States by working to promote continued federal support of home visiting. Home visiting programs provide voluntary services in the home that offer families support during pregnancy and early childhood, including health and developmental screening, connection to services, and parenting skills and supports.
What Is Home Visiting
Home visiting programs are a prevention strategy used to provide vital support to pregnant and new parents as they navigate the challenges of raising babies and young children. Programs vary widely and can serve families from pregnancy through early childhood.
Participation in these programs is voluntary, and home visiting professionals include nurses, social workers, early childhood educators, and specially trained parents. Visits occur on a regular basis that allows for the formation of trusted relationships, and focus on promoting strong parent-child attachment, linking pregnant women with prenatal care, coaching parents on learning activities that foster their child’s development, and supporting parents’ role as their child’s first and most important teacher. Home visitors also conduct regular screenings to help parents identify possible health and developmental issues, and access community resources as needed. Home visiting supports positive parenting, improves maternal and child health, helps prevent child abuse and neglect, and promotes child development and school readiness.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee comprises national organizations representing home visiting models, implementing agencies, pediatricians, public health experts, and advocates for child and family health. The Steering Committee has worked closely with Congress through every bipartisan MIECHV reauthorization and serves as the leading voice on federal home visiting policy.