home visit safety video

Home Visitor Safety in Community Action

This comprehensive Home Visitor Safety in Community Action course is designed to equip community workers, social workers, healthcare professionals, and anyone involved in home visitation with the essential skills and knowledge required to conduct safe and effective home visits. Home visiting is a critical component of community action, aiming to provide support, education, and resources to individuals and families in their own living environments. However, ensuring the safety of both the visitors and the visited is paramount.

What's included?

1 Certification
Interactive Lessons
Actionable Strategies

Comprehensive Safety Training

Emphasis on mental health and resilience.

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How to undertake and record a home visit in social work

PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE 2021 COMPLETION FORM

Before you fill out the form below make sure you have completed ALL 4 STEPS

STAYING SAFE DURING HOME VISITS

Learning Goals and Objectives:

Name the steps needed when planning your visit.

Describe how to safely arrive at your visit.

Identify what red flags should you look for while at the visit.

Name three things that would indicate drug use in the home.

Identify how you would safely leave the area and what would you do if you were followed.

Identify the types of observations and concerns you should bring to your supervisors attention.

Course Description

Thousands of home visits are performed every year by Head Start and Early Head Start programs, teachers, family therapists, Child Protective Services, and many other government and licensing organizations. Most agencies enter the privacy of a family’s residence without any type of training on how to conduct a safe visit.

The Institute for Childhood Preparedness has developed a course which addresses specific concepts that every family and early childhood professional need to know to make visits as safe as possible.

This course will cover concepts for pre-planning the visit, arriving safely, conducting the visit, departing the area, and after the visit activities, including checklists for staying safe. This course teaches the warning signs of domestic abuse, drug/alcohol abuse, and aggressive behavior. The attendees will learn techniques to keep everyone safe during a home visit.

Our Training Options

Live Online Trainings

On-Demand Training

Hybrid Trainings

In-Person Training

Do you offer certificates? How do the certificates work? Yes, we offer certificates. After successful completion of each course, you will be offered the availability to receive a certificate. The certificates are for the account holder - meaning one certificate per account. The person enrolled in the course will receive a completion certificate. If multiple individuals require completion certificates, then accounts need to be purchased. We are only able to provide one certificate per account.
How can I enroll my entire staff? Special pricing is available for programs that wish to provide access and certificates for their entire staff. Fill out this Form and we will be in touch with special pricing for your program.
How long will I have access to the content for? Unlimited viewing for 1- year
Can I pay by Check? Yes, visit https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/online and click PAY BY CHECK

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30 Safety Tips for the Home Care Nurse

Home Care Nurses have a unique and rewarding job. But, sometimes you can be in unsafe situations. Here are 30 tips to keep you safe during your Homecare visits. Specialties Home Health Article

Home Health Nursing
Helpful Tips
Patient Safety

Updated: Oct 5, 2020

Home care nurses have a unique and rewarding job. You provide skilled care where the patient lives. You get to experience their everyday life and impact their overall health and well-being.

But, there are dangers when traveling all day in and out of homes and in new neighborhoods. This isn't just anecdotal, consider stories like the New Orleans home health nurse who was abducted at gunpoint in 2012.

Safety concerns for home health nurses are real.

As a former field nurse in home care and hospice, I have had my fair share of stories of family members that gave me the creeps, "tomato plants" that looked very much like marijuana plants, and patients with guns hidden under mattresses. Even though there were times I felt unsafe, I loved my patients and the unique perspective I was given into their lives. But, you do need to implement simple ways to stay safe.

Safety Tips and Tricks for the Home Care Nurse

Keeping yourself safe doesn't take a lot of work, but it does require intention. Here are a few easy ways to increase your safety knowledge.

1. Know your workplace policies for safety and violence prevention. Don't wait until you are in the middle of a crisis to understand how to activate your company's safety program.

2. Report any unsafe situations as soon as possible. Even if it is just a feeling, be sure to report it to your supervisor. You may not be the next staff member in that home. It is your responsibility to keep others safe too.

3. Be active in your agencies safety committee.

4. Map out your visits so that you know where you are going. Wandering around new neighborhoods looking lost is not safe.

5. Be sure your car is full of fuel and in good working condition.

6. Create a car emergency kit that includes:

Candle to keep you warm
Band-aids, hand sanitizer, antibiotic ointment
Road flares
Rain poncho
Whistle to signal for help
Non-perishable foods or snacks
Ice scraper
Kitty litter for slick roads
Blanket and warm clothing
Flashlight and extra batteries

7. Park on the street if possible. You don't want to be blocked in if you need to leave quickly.

8. Trust your gut. If a situation feels unsafe, it probably is, and you need to get out quickly. Make sure the patient is safe, leave the home, and call your supervisor.

9. Set boundaries. If a patient or family member starts saying things or acting in a way you do not like, tell them. Be polite and direct. Avoid being argumentative.

10. Keep your cell phone on you at all times. Make sure it's fully charged before you leave in the morning and charge it throughout the day.

11. Know your company's policy on joint visits and behavioral contracts. Contact your supervisor if you need to implement either of these interventions.

12. Start your visits early. Avoid nighttime visits if possible.

13. Take a self-defense course.

14. Don't carry large amounts of cash on you.

15. Always wear your agency badge and carry your driver's license or other ID.

16. Watch your step. Be sure to pay attention to the ground and floors in homes so that you don't fall, trip, or become injured in other ways.

17. Be alert, but not nosey. You're there for the patient. If you are unsure what others in the home are doing, don't go snooping around. Do your job and leave the home. Remember, if the patient is in their right mind, they have the right to live however they desire.

18. Ask your patient to contain any aggressive pets before you enter the home.

19. Keep your sharps container in your nursing bag for easy access when you are in the patient's home.

20. Carry spray or 91% alcohol to fight against bed bugs and other critters you may come in contact with in patient homes. Wipe down the bottom of your nursing bag, soles of your shoes, and any equipment that may have come into contact with surfaces in the patient's home.

21. Always have hand sanitizer in case the patients home doesn't have running water.

22. Document in the patient's home when possible. Don't sit in their driveway or on the street for long periods of time finishing up your charting.

23. Know your service area. Learn the unsafe neighborhoods and find out where the closest police stations are in the areas that you serve the most.

24. Be prepared. Set up your visits and supplies the night before. If you must take supplies into a home, put them in bags and label them with the patient's name the night before. This allows you to gather your supplies and get into the home quickly. Don't make multiple trips back and forth to your car and don't rummage through your car getting ready for the visit. You must be alert at all times.

25. If you are confronted by someone who asks for your money, nursing bag, or other belongings, hand it over!

26. Make sure someone in your company has your schedule, just on the off chance that someone can't find you.

27. Keep trash bags in your trunk. If you go into a home that you suspect may have an insect infestation, don't take your nursing bag into the house. Place the necessary equipment into a trash bag and only carry in what you need.

28. Buy a plastic stool that you can keep in your car. During your visit, set your bag on the stool use it to take a seat. This prevents you from sitting on plush furniture that may be soiled or infested.

29. If there are safety concerns in a patient's home or building, call ahead and let them know you are coming. Most patients will be more than happy to open the door or keep an eye out for you if possible.

30. Don't talk or text while you are driving.

If you are a home care nurse, do you need other resources for safety? Check out this great list of OSHA resources specifically for home healthcare workers .

Do you have other safety tips that you use when making home visits? Put your suggestions in the comments below. You could save someone else just by sharing the things you do every day to keep yourself safe.

About Melissa Mills, BSN

Home Care Nurses have a unique and rewarding job. But, sometimes you can be in unsafe situations. Here are 30 tips to keep you safe during your Homecare visits.

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Direct Service Providers for Children and Families: Information for Home Visitors

How home visitors can protect themselves and their clients from COVID-19 and other diseases that can be spread from person to person.

Direct Service Providers
People with Disabilities

Home-visiting professionals, or home visitors, provide many needed services directly to children and families in their home. These direct service providers can include maternal, infant, early childhood, and early intervention home visitors. They also may be teachers and therapists who provide needed services for infants, children, and teens, including those with disabilities. When in-person services are delivered, they are often done in close and consistent contact with the clients. This means that it is important to use prevention strategies to protect the home visitor and the family from diseases that can be spread from person to person, such as COVID-19, but also flu, colds, and other respiratory or gastrointestinal illnesses. In addition, home visitors are trusted sources of information and support for families, particularly those who experience health inequity . This page provides an overview of how home visitors can protect themselves and their clients during home visits.

Occupational therapist sitting with a child

Strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19

With current high uptake of COVID-19 vaccination and high levels of population immunity from both vaccination and infections, the risk of medically significant disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 is greatly reduced for most people. At the same time, we know that some people and communities, such as our oldest citizens, people who are immunocompromised, and people with disabilities, are more likely to get severely ill and face challenging decisions navigating a world with COVID-19.

People who are up to date on COVID-19 vaccines have much lower risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 than unvaccinated people. However, many home visitors work with children who are not yet eligible for vaccination. When making decisions about preventive behaviors in addition to vaccination, people should consider the COVID-19 Community Level in the county. These levels show the degree of risk (low, medium, high) and describe the prevention strategies that are recommended for each level. Prevention strategies — like staying up to date on vaccines, screening testing, ventilation, and wearing masks — can help limit severe disease and reduce the potential for strain on the healthcare system. For home visitors who work with children, it may not be feasible to use all recommended prevention strategies. Therefore, particularly in communities with medium or high COVID-19 levels, home visitors should use multiple layers of recommended COVID-19 strategies to the extent possible while also following any applicable guidance from regulatory agencies and state and local public health departments.

The following information is a brief overview of strategies that home visitors can use when working with children and families. Detailed information about ways home visitors can protect themselves is in the COVID-19 Guidance for Direct Service Providers (cdc.gov) and in the COVID-19 Guidance for Operating Early Care and Education/Child Care (ECE) Programs (cdc.gov)

Ways home visitors can protect themselves and the families they serve:

1. vaccination.

Vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying from COVID-19. As with vaccines for other diseases, people who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines are best protected.

Home visitors can protect themselves, their own families, and the families they care for by staying up to date with all vaccinations, including COVID-19 vaccines. As trusted professionals who know their families well, home visitors can play a role in helping families learn about the importance of vaccines and about supporting children’s healthy development by keeping up to date on all well visits and preventive screenings, such as screening for developmental delays and lead poisoning. They can help connect the family to a regular primary healthcare provider who provides consistent and supportive health care and serves as the family’s medical home. They can remind families that children should get all routine vaccinations to help protect themselves and others from vaccine-preventable diseases , and that family members who are up to date on all vaccines protect children who are not yet old enough to get all vaccines.

Families who are not up to date with all vaccinations may have questions and concerns about the vaccines. Home visitors can promote vaccines by:

Encouraging families to connect with a regular primary healthcare provider and stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines.
Sharing information with parents and caregivers to answer questions and help with any worries and concerns: COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens, Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination in Children, and Resources to Promote the COVID-19 Vaccine for Children & Teens .
Using the strategies that health care providers use to help with worries and concerns: Talking with Patients about COVID-19 Vaccination , Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination .
Helping families who have worries and fears about needles for themselves and their children: Needle Fears and Phobia – Find Ways to Manage .
Finding ways to support COVID-19 vaccination in their ECE programs .

2. Ventilation

Improving ventilation is an important COVID-19 prevention strategy that can reduce the number of virus particles in the air. Along with other preventive strategies , bringing fresh outdoor air into a building helps keep virus particles from concentrating inside. Home visitors can improve ventilation or ask families to improve ventilation during the visit by

Opening multiple doors and windows, if feasible.
Using child-safe fans to increase the effectiveness of open windows.
Using the exhaust fan in the kitchen or bathroom to increase air flow, particularly if opening windows is not possible.
Using portable HEPA air cleaners .
Visiting with the child outdoors when possible.

Learn more about encouraging families to improve the ventilation in their home .

3. Hygiene: Respiratory Etiquette, Handwashing, Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting

Home visitors can limit the spread of illnesses by following all guidance on cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting. During home visits, many activities may involve touching children, and infants and toddlers often need to be held. For COVID-19 in general, cleaning once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove potential virus that may be on surfaces. However, in addition to cleaning for COVID-19, home visitors should practice and encourage families to practice respiratory etiquette and recommended procedures for cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfection, such as after diapering, feeding, and exposure to bodily fluids. See more information about cleaning and sanitizing toys .

Home visitors can use the following strategies:

Use respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes and washing hands immediately after blowing the nose, coughing, or sneezing.
If handwashing is not possible, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. Hand sanitizers should be stored up, away, and out of sight of young children and should be used only with adult supervision for children under 6 years of age or for children with certain disabilities that make it hard for the child to use hand sanitizer safely on their own.
Avoid touching the eyes while holding, washing, or feeding a child.
Wear disposable gloves during activities such as dressing, bathing/showering, toileting, feeding. Safely dispose of gloves after use. Wash hands before and after taking off disposable gloves. If gloves are unavailable, wash hands immediately after.
Change clothes right away if body fluids get on them, whenever possible, and then rewash hands. Launder work uniforms or clothes after each use with the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely.
Wash anywhere that was in contact with a child’s body fluids and follow recommendations on cleaning and sanitizing toys, other learning tools , and assistive devices, particularly if they were in contact with body fluids.
Follow recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting the home if someone is sick, or tests positive for COVID-19.

When people ages 2 and older wear a well-fitting mask correctly and consistently, they protect others as well as themselves from infections that are spread through the air or through respiratory droplets. Consistent and correct mask use is recommended in public settings in communities with high COVID-19 Community Levels, and around people at high risk for severe disease in communities with medium COVID-19 Community Levels. At all COVID-19 Community Levels, people can wear a mask based on personal preference, informed by personal level of risk. People with symptoms of COVID-19, people with a positive COVID-19 test results who are around other people, and people who are quarantining because of a close contact, should wear a mask.

Masks should not be worn by children under age 2. Some older children or adults cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask , because of a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.).

When choosing a mask , home visitors can consider fit, comfort, and the special needs of the people around them. To facilitate learning and social and emotional development, consider wearing a clear mask or cloth mask with a clear panel when interacting with young children, children learning to speak or read, children learning another language, or when interacting with people who rely on reading lips. Generally, vinyl and non-breathable materials are not recommended for masks . However, for ease of lip-reading, this is an exception to that general guidance.

5. Physical Distancing

It is generally recommended that people maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from persons who are sick with COVID-19. However, maintaining physical distance between a home visitor and their clients is often not feasible during home visiting, especially during certain activities such as physical therapy, feeding, holding/comforting, and among younger children in general. When it is not possible to maintain physical distance in home visiting settings, it is especially important to layer multiple prevention strategies, such as masking indoors, improved ventilation, handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and regular cleaning to help reduce COVID-19 transmission risk.

6. Isolation and Quarantine

People who are confirmed to have COVID-19 or are showing symptoms of COVID-19 need to stay home (known as isolation) regardless of their vaccination status. This includes

People who have a positive viral test for COVID-19, whether or not they have symptoms .
People with symptoms of COVID-19, including people who are awaiting test results or have not been tested. People with symptoms should isolate even if they do not know if they have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19.

People who come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 should quarantine if they have not had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days and are in one of the following groups:

Infants and young children who are not eligible for vaccination based on age .
Staff and older children who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccines (have not received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible ).

Home visitors can encourage families to monitor children at home for fever (a temperature of 100.4 ºF (38.0 ºC) or other signs of illnesses that could be spread to others [PDF – 1 page] , including COVID-19, and adjust visit schedules if needed. Services may be provided virtually during quarantine or isolation if feasible.

Learn more about CDC guidance on COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation and about making decisions about the length of quarantine and isolation for young children: Isolation and Quarantine in Early Care and Education (ECE) Programs.

7. Mental Health Support

Taking care of children requires a lot of effort and includes many challenges. CDC provides resources to support the mental health of home visitors and the families they serve, for example:

Stress and Coping
How Right Now – Finding What Helps with Emotional Well-Being and Resilience
Tips for Promoting School Employee Wellness
Taking Care of Your Emotional Health
Learn About Children’s Mental Health
Mental Health
Occupational Health and Safety
COVID-19 Guidance for Direct Service Providers
Vaccinating Children with Disabilities Against COVID-19
Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program | MCHB (hrsa.gov)
Home Visiting | The Administration for Children and Families (hhs.gov)
Health Tips for Home Visitors to Prevent the Spread of Illness (hhs.gov) [PDF – 11 pages]
COVID-19 Information for Health Centers and Partners | Bureau of Primary Health Care (hrsa.gov)
“Learn the Signs. Act Early.”

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Resource Toolkit for Home Visiting and other Early Childhood Professionals

Welcome to the WCWPDS Home Visiting Resource Toolkit, designed to support home visiting professionals working with families. This toolkit offers a comprehensive collection of resources, including articles, webinars, websites, books, and training opportunities. Our goal is to provide current research and practical tools to enhance your practice. Explore topics such as trauma, mental health, child development, substance abuse, and much more. If you have valuable resources to share, please contact us at [email protected] .

What is Considered Child Abuse? Psychology Today article covers the legal meaning of the term child abuse and links to states’ reporting laws and commonly asked questions about mandated reporting.
InBrief: The Science of Neglect This short video, from the Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, reveals the four types of unresponsive care and the impact of neglect on a young child’s brain development. Look for other resources related to neglect on this website.
The CDC website has the original ACE study, resources, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ACE data, journal articles and presentation graphics.
The Child Abuse and Prevention Board has Information related to the original ACE study and ACEs data specific to Wisconsin, including a Wisconsin ACE brief and other reports related to our state.
Services for Families of Infants and Toddlers Experiencing Trauma: A Research-to-Practice Brief . Beginning life in the context of trauma places infants and toddlers on a compromised developmental path. This brief summarizes what is known about the impact of trauma on infants and toddlers, and the intervention strategies that could potentially protect them from the adverse consequences of traumatic experiences. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation.
How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime Nadine Burke Harris Ted Talk.
Take The ACE Quiz — And Learn What It Does And Doesn’t Mean , NPR

Online Learning

Childhood Adversity Narratives (CAN) Developed by 5 researchers from around the country, this webinar is meant to help inform policy makers and the public about the costs and consequences of child maltreatment and adversity. Feel free to use their work, and provide appropriate citations, to educate others.
Marks that Matter, Sentinel Injuries, and Other Opportunities for Child Abuse Prevention is a 25-minute module that will teach you about marks that matter and sentinel injuries, including why they are significant, who is at risk, and what to do if you suspect abuse. It is intended for childcare workers, child welfare workers, family support staff, and home visitors, but any person working with children will find it a useful tool. This module can be viewed on your computer or mobile device.
WI Mandated Reporter Online Training Reporting requirements vary slightly for a few groups. Learners can select the affiliation that best fits their role in the WI Child Welfare Professional Development System online training.
Coping with Early Adversity and Mitigating its Effects—Core Story: Resilience From the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, this 7 min. video addresses effective ways to help children cope and build resilience through adversity.
NEAR@Home is a training manual with guided processes to help home visitors learn and practice language and strategies to safely and effectively talk about childhood trauma and the ACEs questionnaire in a safe, respectful, and effective way for both home visitor and family.
Tip Sheet CES
Childhood Experiences Survey Developed through UW Milwaukee for home visitors, this validated tool expands the framework of the original ACEs survey to include additional questions around poverty, bullying, absence of a parent, and death of a close family member.

Prevention Advocacy

Child Welfare League of America with the following text,. CWLA leads and engages its network of public and private agencies and partners to advance policies, best practices and collaborative strategies that result in better outcomes for children, youth and families that are vulnerable.
Prevent Child Abuse America PCA’s mission is to prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation’s children. Their website offers an activity toolkit, stats and figures, tip sheets for parents, research and ways you can make a difference.
Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board The Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board is committed to mobilizing research and practices that prevent the occurrence of child maltreatment. Learn about abuse and neglect risk factors and protective factors, as well as frameworks for child maltreatment prevention.
Safe Haven for Newborns Information Safe Haven, also known as “infant relinquishment”, this law allows a parent to leave their newborn in a safe place in certain circumstances with certain individuals. Learn more about this WI law, the Maternal and Child Health Hotline and crisis support on this webpage.
Wisconsin Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Indicator and Response Guide for Mandated Reporters ( English ) ( Spanish )
Awareness to Action (A2A) A2A is an initiative focused on preventing child sexual abuse by helping adults and communities take action to protect children through awareness, education, prevention, advocacy and action, through the Child Abuse Prevention Board, Children’s Hospital of WI.

Tip Sheets/ Guides

Tip Sheet: Talking to Children and Teens about Child Abuse Children need accurate, age-appropriate information about child sexual abuse and confidence that adults they know will support them. This tip sheet can help!
Books to Help Parents Talk About and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse The Committee for Children features a list of books which provide valuable information for parents to keep their kids safe.
Long-term consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect fact sheets.
Babies Cry, Be Prepared Free downloadable brochure in English, Spanish and Hmong from Child Abuse and Prevention Board.
Signs of Child Abuse and Neglect The WI Dept of Children and Families has outlined the signs of neglect and physical, sexual, and emotional child abuse, to help readers be prepared to recognize situations that may need to be reported.

Text Resources

Services for Families of Infants and Toddlers Experiencing Trauma: A Research-to-Practice Brief , Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation
CTA Library The CTA is a Community of Practice working to improve the lives of high-risk children through direct service, research and education. CTA translates emerging findings about the human brain and child development into practical implications for the way we nurture, protect, enrich, educate and heal children.

Adult Mental Health

Pregnancy and Postpartum Mental Health

Depression in Mothers: More Than the Blues: A Toolkit for Family Service Providers through SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014)
Useful Links provides reputable weblinks relevant for different readers, including moms, dads, families, friends and professionals.
Resources and Information about Maternal Depression , from the Center for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Health Services Administration.

For Parents:

Depression During and After Pregnancy , from the CDC, includes information to help parents better understand depression, post-partum depression and provides links to other depression-related resources for parents.
Pregnancy and Postpartum Mental Health Overview , provided by Postpartum Support International, offers information on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders for women concerned about their mental health during or after pregnancy.
Resources for Mothers and Families includes information about several support groups for mothers concerned about perinatal related mental health disorders.
HelpLine for Moms, offered through Postpartum Support International , 1-800-944-4773 (English and Spanish), or text 503-894-9453 . Available 24 hrs. a day, callers will be asked to leave a confidential message and a trained and caring volunteer will return your call or text. They will listen, answer questions, offer encouragement and connect you with local resources, as needed.

Professional Reading

Home Visiting and Maternal Depression: Seizing the Opportunities to Help Mothers and Young Children
Supporting Infants, Toddlers, and Families Impacted by Caregiver Mental Health Problems, Substance Abuse, and Trauma: A Community Guide
Maternal Depression: Why It Matters to an Anti-Poverty Agenda for Parents and Children Websites, CLASP
National Institute on Mental Health
National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness Mental Health Newsletter highlighting Stress Reduction for families and professionals (2016). Includes resources in English and Spanish, links to tips and articles.
National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness Mental Health Newsletter highlighting Parental Depression (2016) includes links to articles, briefs, and action steps for families and professionals.

Online Training and Educational Modules

Perinatal Mental Health Modules is a two-part series designed for home visitors to better understand the signs and symptoms of perinatal mental health issues and how they impact mothers and families. Throughout the training, you will view excerpts from a live webinar taught by Jen Perfetti, MA, LPC, a licensed therapist at Luna Perinatal Counseling and the Clinical and Professional Development Coordinator with the UW Department of Psychiatry Parent-Infant Mental Health Programs.
WI Dept. of Health Services’ Perinatal Mental Health: Screening, Referral and Supportive Interventions for Women and Families webinar series includes videos, references, information for clinicians, and handouts for women and their families. Developed by leaders in the fields of psychiatry and women’s health, this series covers a variety of topics related to perinatal mental health.
The Periscope Project (Medical College of WI) offers free online modules on common topics related to perinatal psychiatric disorders. While these modules target medical providers, two of the modules, Perinatal Mood Disorders and Screening and Follow-up, are relevant for family support professionals, as well.
The Periscope Project website contains work from the Wisconsin project which hosts a consultation line and other resources to support professionals working with new parents, that may be struggling with perinatal mental health and depression. This site provides information on screening guidelines and resources beyond the Perinatal Algorithm training. On the site you will find screening tools, educational modules/ videos and tools on a variety of perinatal mental health topics.
National Institute of Mental Health ( NIMH) offers authoritative information about mental health disorders well as information on a range of mental health topics and the latest mental health research.
Mental Health America , learn about the signs and symptoms of mental illness, facts, statistics, how to live mentally healthy, finding help, public policy, screening, and the latest news on mental health.
B4Stage4 is an initiative that encourages all of us to have a new perspective about mental health. Learn about both prevention and intervention strategies, including the B4Stage4 philosophy, and information and resources available through “Get informed, Get screened and Get help”.
Mental Health, Oklahoma State Department of Health. Oklahome Home Visitor Training
Brain Basics from the National Institute of Mental Health provides information on how the brain works, how mental illnesses are disorders of the brain, and ongoing research that helps us better understand and treat disorders.
Health Nexus Santé’s Perinatal Mood Disorders: An Interdisciplinary Training Video (25:03) offered in four chapters. Reviews the risk factors and symptoms of perinatal mood disorders. Testimonials by women diagnosed with a perinatal mood disorder and counseling vignettes are included.
Imagine There Was No Stigma to Mental Illness | Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman | TEDxCharlottesville (22:07)
Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness (4:33)
Tip Sheet PSS
Self-Help and Mental Health Screening Tools , from Mental Health America. This webpage contains great resources for individuals exploring their own mental health, including screening tools.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) , Mental Health by the Numbers,
National Institutes of Health, Prevalence, includes rates for various mental illness diagnoses in the U.S.
Mental Health America of Wisconsin

Fact Sheets

Depression During and After Pregnancy , WomensHealth.gov
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) offers fact sheets related to a variety of mental health issues.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services Mental Health Resources

Advocacy, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Instructional

Advocacy 101 for Family Support Professionals

Reading Materials

Out of the Boardroom: How Nonprofit Board Members Can Be Effective Advocates in Troubled Times

Talking Points

HV Talking Point – Home visitors can advocate for their roles and their programs as concerned citizens, during their own private time. You can use this document to help policy-makers understand the value of home visiting and your role
Value of PD Talking Points – Professional development helps family support professionals feel more confident and competent in their roles.
Be an Advocate for Young Children, Supporting Families Together Association – Learn about different types of advocacy, how you can get involved, who to contact, and current advocacy alerts (eg. News from the WI Children’s Caucus, webinars, etc.)
Zero to Three Home Visiting: Supporting Parents and Child Development includes resources and tools to help policymakers and professional understand the importance of investing in home visiting programs and support the implementation of home visiting programs as part of a comprehensive and coordinated system of services for young children and their families.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Principles of Inclusion, Diversity, Access and Equity by Tina Q Tan (September 2019) https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/220/Supplement_2/S30/5552351?login=true
Reflections on Research: Toward an Open Data Toolkit Centered on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Principles (12/9/2020) by Rachel Woodbrook https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/166087/Woodbrook_DEIADataToolkit_LYRASIS_Whitepaper.pdf?sequence=1
Anti – Racism Daily https://antiracismdaily.com/ “Each day, we offer an overview on current events and apply an anti-racism lens. Learn how practices embedded in our politics, criminal justice system, and workplaces enforce systemic oppression – and what you can do about it.”
Privilege 101: A Quick and Dirty Guide by Sian Ferguson (September 29, 2014) https://everydayfeminism.com/2014/09/what-is-privilege/
How to get Serious about Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace by Janet Stovall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvdHqS3ryw0 (September 13, 2018) TED Talk “Imagine a workplace where people of all colors and races are able to climb every rung of the corporate ladder — and where the lessons we learn about diversity at work actually transform the things we do, think and say outside the office. How do we get there? In this candid talk, inclusion advocate Janet Stovall shares a three-part action plan for creating workplaces where people feel safe and expected to be their unassimilated, authentic selves.”
The Essential Power of Belonging by Caroline Clarke https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNiGny7OlWg&list=TLPQMTMwODIwMjEJgfS2KPFg2Q&index=6 TEDx (11:28) “Author and journalist Caroline Clarke explores our fundamental need for belonging and how critical it is not only to every individual’s fulfillment and success but to our collective wellbeing and future.”
Just Belonging: Finding the Courage to Interrupt Bias by Kori Carew TEDx https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIf43L6hNkM&list=TLPQMTMwODIwMjEJgfS2KPFg2Q&index=3 (19:16) “A moment of racial tension presents a choice. Will we be silent about implicit and unconscious bias, or will we interrupt bias for ourselves and others? Justice, belonging, and community are at stake.”
Colorism https://www.nccj.org/colorism-0 the National Conference for Community and Justice “In this bulletin, we will be discussing the topic of Colorism. You will find history, videos, articles/handouts, statistics and questions to ponder related to this issue.”
People of Color Discuss the Impact of ‘Colorism’ on GMA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIx131aaY6A July 22, 2020 (6:28) Research shows people with darker skin experience an increased number of problems, including socioeconomic issues. Amira Adawe of The Beautywell Project weighs in on how to fight the bias.

Cultural Humility 101

How to Outsmart Your Own Unconscious Bias by Valerie Alexander TEDx (October 22, 2018) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP-cqFLS8Q4 (17:23)
Sometimes You’re A Caterpillar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRiWgx4sHGg&t=1s
Mental Health Services
Children’s Bureau Express
National Center for Cultural Competence , Georgetown University. The mission of the NCCC is to increase the capacity of health care and mental health care programs to design, implement, and evaluate culturally and linguistically competent service delivery systems to address growing diversity, persistent disparities, and to promote health and mental health equity.
The Cross Cultural Health Care Program offers a Cultural Competence Resource Guide for health and social service providers.
University of Kansas Community Health and Development Center’s Community Toolbox, C ultural Competence in a Multicultural World , features 11 topics related to Culture and Diversity.
African American Lives Today , Robert Wood Johnson Foundation & Harvard School of Public Health. Find research data from a national survey examining African-Americans’ views on their personal and family lives, community, experiences of discrimination and financial situations. There are links to research on health issues faced by African-Americans in our country.
The Ways : Stories on Culture & Language from Native Communities Around the Central Great Lakes.
The Danger of a Single Story , 2009, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, TED Talks
My Year of Reading a Book from Every Country in the World , Ted Talk, Ann Morgan, (12:03 min)
How Culture Connects to Healing and Recovery , Ted Talk , Fayth Parks (13:40 min)

Online Training Resources

Allies for Reaching Community Health Equity offers monthly online training events. For a calendar of online training events, check out the Culture of Health Institute for Leadership Development (CHILD) .
5 Diversity Modules include a General Diversity Module, Amish Culture, Hispanic Culture, Hmong Culture and Native American Culture for general audiences and adapted modules for clinical providers from the La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium, UW Lacrosse.
Working With the African American Father: The Forgotten Parent Authors: California Social Work Education Center includes objectives, agenda, and trainer and trainee materials to develop professional practice working with African-American father’s and address systemic biases.
What Works for African American Children and Adolescents: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Programs and Interventions Authors: Bandy and Moore Identifies programs that do and do not work and intervention strategies that contribute to program success.
Culturally Diverse Parent-Child and Family Relationships: Guide for Social Workers and Other Practitioners Author: Webb Reviews the parent-child relationships and caregiving practices of subgroups of various racial and ethnic groups, outlines ethical issues in socialw ork with culturally diverse children, and describes a frameowrk for culturally responsive practice.
Developing Cross-Cultural Competence: A Guide for Wokring with Children and Thier Families Authors: Lynch and Hanson Information on working with families and children with disabilities from specific cultrual, ethnnic, and language groups.
Understanding Our New Racial Reality Starts with the Unconscious Source: Greater Good – the Science of Meaningful Life
McK-V Inquirer: A newsletter of helpful tips & resources for serving children and youth experiencing homelessness found on the Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners website. Scroll down to STATE RESOURCES and click on the issue you want to read.
Standards and Indicators for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice ,National Association of Social Workers (2015)
Father Involvement and Child Welfare: The Voices of Men of Color , Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, Vol. 11, Number 1 (2014)
Developing Culturally Responsive Approaches to Serving Diverse Populations: A Resource Guide for Community-Based Organizations This 2017 resource guide identifies easily accessible resources on cultural competency that organizations can use to become more responsive to the needs of their targeted populations, and to help attract funds to support their important work.
Head Start’s Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) . Administrators, teachers, caregivers, and families can use these resources to help ensure culturally and linguistically appropriate services for all children birth to 5. These resources can also help staff provide high quality services for children who are dual language learners (DLLs). Programs can promote positive experiences for DLLs by holding high expectations. They can also emphasize children’s cultural and linguistic strengths.
Head Start’s ECLKC Family Engagement webpage, which includes the Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework, Boosting School Readiness through Family Engagement (simulation series), Engaging and Goal-Setting with Families, and the Family Engagement Family, Language and Literacy webinar series. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/family-engagement

Building Collaborations

Chamber Executive: Where Workforce Development Begins , October 2012, Libby Doggett
Partnerships: Frameworks for Working Together . This guidebook, developed for the Strengthening Nonprofits: A Capacity Builder’s Resource Library, is helpful to any organization or coalition of organizations that wants to know more about establishing and managing partnerships. (updated 2010)
Guiding Principles for Public-Private Partnerships – A Tool to Support Engagement to Achieve Public Health Goals. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 2018
Nonprofit Collaborations: Why Teaming Up Can Make Sense , Forbes Magazine, April 9, 2013.
Business Leaders Team up to Benefit Education, Economy – ReadyNation
Change the First five Years and You Can Change Everything – Ounce of Prevention
Smart Beginnings and the Workforce Pipeline

Local Organizations

Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners
Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention “The Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board is committed to mobilizing research and practices to prevent child maltreatment in the state.”
Supporting Families Together Association . SFTA is Wisconsin’s statewide member association for organizations and individuals committed to making every early childhood a great one. The core membership consists of Wisconsin’s Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs) and Family Resource Centers (FRCs). Individual membership is made up of other like-minded individuals.

Child Development

Apps and Activities

ASQ activities
Head Start Go Smart offers physical activity suggestions and resources, arranged by age of the child, beginning at birth.
Milestone Tracker Mobile App , Milestones matter! Track your child’s milestones from age 2 months to 5 years with CDC’s easy-to-use illustrated checklists; get tips from CDC for encouraging your child’s development; and find out what to do if you are ever concerned about how your child is developing. Photos and videos in this app illustrate each milestone and make tracking them for your child easy and fun!
Text4Baby . The National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition supports Text4baby, a free mobile text messaging service that provides moms-to-be, new moms and family members with information to help them care for themselves and their baby throughout pregnancy and the baby’s first year.
Vroom This practical app helps parents to help their babies brains grow during their regular daily routines! Using the science of early learning, this app acknowledges parents as their child’s #1 brain builder, helping turn ordinary or fussy times into fun shared moments.
Sesame Street Fun Games for Kids Parents can use these free online educational games, videos and coloring activities for preschoolers.
Sesame Streets’ Healthy Habits for Life – We Have the Moves , This resource contains fun-filled activities to help build physical activity into everyday moments. Parents will find physical activities that require minimal time and equipment; activities for both large and small spaces and groups; fun and easy ways to add more active play into everyday routines; and ways to link movement to different developmental areas.
Bright by Text Parents receive free, timely Bright by Three age-appropriate activities, games and resources in English or Spanish.
Love, Talk, Read, Sing, Play Provides information for parents to support their child’s development in diverse ways. The app is available in English, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese or Nepali.
Kinedu Offers 1,600 activity ideas for baby’s development, 0 – 4 years.
Activities for Babies on Pinterest
Preschool Games on Pinterest .
Parents Magazine Educational Games for elementary school children.
Breathe, Think, Do mindfulness app from Sesame Street. This free app helps teach young children, ages 2 – 5, problem-solving, self-control, planning and task persistence. Available for iOS and Android
Calm free meditation app focuses on meditation, relaxation and sleep. Their “sleep stories” function tells tales to help users fall asleep easier. There’s also a section for “Calm Kids” that parents may enjoy, as well! Available for iOS and Android
Developmental screening information and fact sheet.
Social-emotional development for infants and toddlers.
Social-emotional development for infants and toddlers related to peer behavior.
HHS SED Milestones
HHS SED Research Background
HHS SED Tips for Early Childhood Teachers and Providers
HHS SED Tips for Families
Kids in the Monitoring Zone: What to Do Next, ASQ
Screening and Assessment in Early Childhood Settings, There can be some confusion about the difference between screening and assessment in early childhood settings. This infographic helps illustrate key characteristics for each type of tool.
Screening for Social Emotional Concerns: Considerations in the Selection of Instruments.
How kids’ screen-time guidelines came about — and how to enforce them, Kendall Powell
Deb McNelis Promoting Brain Development Through Play and Nurture, Jennifer Rojas
What Babies Understand about Adult Sadness, NPR
Strength-based parenting improves children’s resilience and stress levels, Medical Press
The Science of Resilience – Why some children can thrive despite adversity, Harvard
Why maternal mental health matters: a case for early childhood development, Maternal Health Task Force Blog
How Anxiety Leads to Disruptive Behavior – Kids who seem oppositional are often severely anxious, Child Mind Institute
What Poverty Does to the Young Brain, The New Yorker
How to Prevent Mental Health Problems? Begin at the Beginning With Infants and Toddlers – Matthew Melmed, The Huffington Post
The Difference Between Tantrums and Sensory Meltdowns, Understood
The Neuroscience of Calming a Baby, Psychology Today
What Your Baby Can’t Tell You, Janet Lansbury – elevating child care
Infants create new knowledge while sleeping, Science Daily
Infant temperaments may reflect parents’ cultural values, Washington State University
Some Early Childhood Experiences Shape Adult Life, But Which Ones?, NPR
The scientific evidence against spanking, timeouts, and sleep training, Quartz
Boy toddlers need extra help dealing with negative emotions, experts urge, Science Daily
Helping Your Child’s Speech and Language, In the Playroom
How raising kids within routines boosts social and emotional health, Desert News – National
Understanding the Relation Between Temperament and Behavior, The Urban Child Institute
Family Engagement and School Readiness Series, National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagement
How Supportive Parenting Protects the Brain, The Atlantic
Benefits of bilingual children , FastCompany
Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: Policies and Practices to Foster the Social-Emotional Development of Young Children , provides an overview of early childhood mental health consultation, current issues in the field and possible future directions. The brief also provides a snapshot of current programs across the nation and highlights some of the challenges and innovations that are shaping the field. (Zero to Three)
Seeing the Importance of Vision Development, research-to-policy article from the Urban Child Institute.
“ Baby’s Vision development: What to Expect the First Year ” from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Online Training

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services Women, Infants, and Children Program site provides an online training course on anthropometrics : weighing, measuring, and interpreting measurement results.
The Association of Maternal Child Health Programs’ Communicating the Value of Developmental Screening for professionals working directly with families and Title V leaders and other stakeholders to articulate the value of developmental screening.

PowerPoints

A Home Visitor’s guide for developmental and behavioral screening from Birth To 5: Watch Me Thrive

Resource Guides

Tips and Resources for Families U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Office of the Administration for Children & Families – Early Childhood Development provides web links to resources that support the development (including social emotional) of young children.
Zero to Three’s Parent Favorites Free parenting resources include articles (English and Spanish), series infographics and videos related to early development.
Resource Guide: Child Development Resources for Parents and Providers From the U.S. Health & Human Services Child Care State Capacity Building Center, this guide provides links to resources for both parents and providers.

Resources to Share

Prevent Blindness Wisconsin offers fact sheets about screening for and protecting children’s vision.
Preventative Pediatric Health Care Chart
Bright Futures Guidelines is designed to provide a common framework for well child care from birth to age 21. Explore the Bright Futures materials and tools . If you are asked for a username/password, click cancel, and you should still be routed to the page.
Feelings Poster
5 Steps for Brain-Building Serve and Return
Kids in the monitoring zone: What to do next ASQ

UW Extension’s Just in Time Parenting newsletters are free parenting newsletters that are delivered by email and specific to a child’s age and needs. They are designed so that information that’s relevant to a family is automatically delivered to them just in time! Newsletters are specific to prenatal, newborn, the first year, second – third years (bimonthly), and fourth – fifth years (bimonthly). Newsletters can be downloaded from this webpage, too.

Articles for Families on Play The National Assc. for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) offers a webpage with links to articles for families that answer the question, “Why is Play Important?” and offer Play in Action ideas.

Power of Play: Building Skills and Having Fun video (5:33 min.) View this video with parents at Zero to Three’s website.

Sensory Activities 0-18 Months Games and activities that support sensory development in very young children.

Preschooler Creative Learning and Development Ideas and Activitie s Raisingchildren.net.au provides information for parents on all aspects of children’s development, from pregnancy – teens and family life. This website contains articles, ideas, strategies, videos and more!

The Expectation Gap Downloadable from Zero to Three, these resources help parents understand the benchmarks of social emotional development with infographics, articles and more.

Articles for Families on Behavior and Development These articles support parents as they help their child develop social-emotional competence.

An Activity Book for African American Families: Helping Children Cope with Crisis Download this activity book, developed by the National Black Child Development Institute and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, to support the social-emotional development of children and families dealing with crisis.

The Well-Visit Planner is based on national recommendations for parents/guardians of children 4 months to 6 years old. This web tool will result in a personalized visit guide of questions and topics for a child’s next well-child visit. This was developed as a project of The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative and Oregon Health and Science University. English and Spanish .
Delighting in Writing – Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL). When young children are given opportunities, they can actively construct meaningful pictures and stories using written symbols.
Serve and Return Interaction Shapes Brain Circuitry – The Center for the Developing Child. Video 2 from the 3 part series “Three Core Concepts in Early Development” . Young Children naturally reach out for interaction through babbling, facial expressions, and gestures.
6 Core Strengths for Child Development – Dr Bruck Perry
Love, a low tech solution – Laura Peterson, TEDx Talks
Why is it important to Comfort your child?, Hospital for Sick Children
Developmental Screening, Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ)
5 Tips for Brain-Building Serve and Return – Harvard Center on the Developing Child
Early Recognition of Child Development Problems/Educational Video (4:33 min) The Center for Disease Control’s Learn the Signs: Act Early campaign to help parents recognize developmental milestones. Embed link in name of video.
Early Signs of Autism Video Tutorial (9:02 min) Video compares/contrasts typical development with those of children showing signs of early Autism Spectrum Disorder. Kennedy Krieger Institute, Center for Autism and Related Disorders.
Brain Builders , First Five Years Fund Early Childhood Education
The Power of Connection : Welcome to The Power of Connection Online Experience! The first years of life is a time of incredible potential and yet of greatest vulnerability. Join us as we share some magical moments of early development with you and highlight just how important YOU are in ensuring a strong foundation for bright futures. This is a place for families and community members to deepen understanding of the complex and rich emotional worlds of our babies and young children.
When Feelings Overwhelm: How to Help a Child 50 resources to help children manage their emotions includes resources useful to professionals and parents.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services offers information on Wisconsin’s Newborn Screening program and the Wisconsin Sound Beginnings newborn hearing screening program.
The Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners provides information about the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards .
Learn the Signs, Act Early
Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin (CHAW, in the acronym lingo), implements programs and initiatives, and offers resources on many health topics, including injury prevention and child death review, oral health, asthma, early literacy, and Medical Home.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers free childhood developmental resources for professionals and parents, including developmental milestone fact sheets, information on children’s mental health, multimedia resources, research, articles, and positive parenting tips.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Learn the Signs: Act Early downloadable resources for professionals and parents. Covers developmental milestones for newborns through age five. Downloadable resources available in English and Spanish.
Public Broadcasting Service’s The ABC’s of Child Development for Early Care Providers includes articles, quick tips and activity ideas
Center on the Developing Child – Harvard University . Excellent downloadable articles, briefs, and videos related to the science of early childhood, including: brain architecture, serve and return, toxic stress, executive function & self-regulation and resilience.

Children with special needs

Wisconsin First Step is an information and referral service hotline with phone and online chat forums and a resource directory to assist Wisconsin families and providers working with children and youth with special needs.
Family Voices of Wisconsin promotes family-centered care for all children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities. Family Voices provides tools for families to make informed decisions, advocates for improved public and private policies, forges partnerships with families and professionals, and serves as a health care resource.
What are the signs of autism? Since early treatment can improve outcomes for children diagnosed with autism, Autism Speaks stresses the importance of learning early signs of autism. The side offers a helpful Video Glossary after a brief registration.
The Adapting Activities & Materials for Young Children with Disabilities handout, with reference citations, provides key ideas, general teaching ideas, and activity adaptations for children with special needs.
Do2Learn This website for individuals with special needs provides thousands of free pages with social skills and behavior regulation activities and guidance.
Child Neurology Foundation This website offers insights and suggestions from child neurology experts for caregivers to engage with special needs children to nurture their development. Their mission: To serve as a collaborative center of education and support for caregivers and their children with neurologic conditions.
Helping Your Child with Autism Thrive with the following text. This Help Guide provides parenting tips, treatments and services to help parents support the development of a child on the Autism Spectrum.

Language Development

12 Ways to Support Language Development for Infants and Toddlers from the National Assc. of Education for Young Children (NAEYC). Simple strategies for parents to use to support language development with very young children.
Resources for Home-Based Practitioners The Center for Early Literacy Learning model and approach includes both evidence-based intervention and implementation practices for practitioners and parents to promote the use of early literacy learning practices.
Storyline Online The SAF-AFRA Foundations’ award-winning children’s literacy website streams videos featuring actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Great for all kids, including those with special needs. Download the free app, too!

Child Health and Safety

Immunizations

The DHS Wisconsin Immunization Registry offers a public link so that parents may access their children’s immunizations records. Through the following link, health professionals may also access materials (in several languages), as well as trainings to support their immunization programs and data collection efforts. The WIR can also be accessed in English, Spanish, or Hmong from this site. https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/immunization/wir.htm
Through these Centers for Disease Control and Prevention links, you can download Easy-To-Read Immunization Schedules for Infants and Children , and for Teens in both English and Spanish. There is also a chart for Adults . On the same page, there is a link to a downloadable tracking chart. Families can write in their children’s measurements: Immunizations and Developmental Milestones for Your Child from Birth Through 6 Years Old
The Immunization Action Coalition offers vaccine information for families , coalitions , and health professionals .

Infant and Early Childhood Safety and Injury Prevention

Children’s Safety Network offers information on a wide variety of child injury prevention topics, with links to further resources.
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin provides Safe Sleep information in English and Spanish.
Safe Kids Wisconsin has information on child injury prevention programs and events, including statewide car seat check dates and links to resources such as the Safe Sleep Cribs for Kids .
Car Seats: Information for Families .
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Car Seats and Booster Seats helps parents find and provides information on how to select a car seat, based on a child’s age and size. It includes ease-of-use ratings that lets parents compare seats to find the right one for their child.
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Car Seat Safety webpage, includes information on car seat clinics, laws and best practices and fact sheets in English and Spanish.
Pediatric Dentistry: Common Treatment Options The most common pediatric dental services include dental exams and cavity fillings. These dentists also specialize in tooth extractions, preventive treatments, and restorative treatments. From NewMouth .

Hearing and Vision

“ The Importance of Stimulating a Child’s Vision ” research-to-policy article from the Urban Child Institute.
“ Vision Development in Preschool and School-aged Children” from the American Academy of Ophthalmology”.
“ Prevent Blindness Wisconsin” offers fact sheets about screening for, and protecting, children’s vision”

Lead Prevention

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services offers information childhood lead poisoning and lead-free housing: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/lead/create-lead-safe-housing.htm
On this Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website, you can Learn about Lead , learn how to Protect Your Family , and find resources to work with children and families . The EPA also offers lead (plomo) information in Spanish .
Safe Sleep for Babies Updates to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ safe sleep recommendations to protect against SIDS and sleep-related deaths are provided in this 10/24/16 video and accompanying article.
American Academy of Pediatrics’ Task Force on SIDS: What’s New in 2016 , Dr. Rachel Moon, MD, internationally recognized expert in SIDS and post-neonatal infant mortality. 52:33 minutes.
Study: Parents not following safe sleep advice for infants in AAP News, Aug. 15, 2016.
American Academy of Pediatrics section on Child Death Review and Prevention – Safe Sleep includes policy and publications, information for families, safe sleep campaigns and frequently asked questions related to safe sleep practices for infants.
Safe to Sleep public education campaign led by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development contains science-based information about SIDS/Safe Sleep, campaign materials, outreach materials, videos and more.
March of Dimes Safe Sleep for your Baby , offers information on how much sleep a baby needs, the safest place for baby to sleep, how to put baby to sleep safely and bedtime routines.
How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained . This article for parents addresses the dangers of unsafe sleep environments for babies and the pre- and postnatal recommendations from the AAP, through babies’ first year of life.
Your New Baby Safe at Home .
Cribs for Kids A national safe sleep initiative since 1998, their mission is to prevent deaths caused in unsafe sleeping environments by educating parents and caregivers on the importance of practicing safe sleep for their babies and by providing portable cribs to families who, otherwise, cannot afford a safe place for their babies to sleep.
Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin , with the WI Dept. of Health Services Maternal and Child Health Title V program, provides tools that support tribal and local health departments in addressing infant safe sleep. The website includes a safe sleep video, Sleep Baby Safe training modules, training materials, newborn nest and safe sleep local campaign examples. Educational materials available in several languages.

Best Practices and Services:

Home Visiting Best Practices: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s home visiting best practices for COVID-19 are currently out of date. However, the following is the CDC’s guidance for healthcare personnel as of March 18, 2024 – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel
Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals: Please explore a vast collection of resources for Rapid Response Virtual Home Visiting here .

Resources for Families:

PBS Kids For Parents: Explore PBS’ COVID-19 resources for parents here .

Local Information:

Wisconsin DHS COVID-19 Updates: Stay informed with the latest updates from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services .

Domestic Violence

Survivors of Domestic Violence May Enroll in Health Care at ANY TIME Health centers and domestic and sexual violence advocacy organizations can partner to support survivor health and prevent violence. Through cross-trainings and warm referrals, providers and advocates are able to provide comprehensive coordinated care for survivors and their families.
National Network to End Domestic Violence Take Action NNEDV asks advocates and allies to contact Congress at key times to influence legislation and funding for domestic violence programs. NNEDV will ask you to make phone calls, send an email or take action on social media sites. Taking a few minutes to contact your elected officials can mean a world of difference to a survivor of domestic violence.
Building Domestic Violence Health Care Responses in Indian Country: A Promising Practices Report, The Family Violence Protection Fund
Stop Asking Already: 6 Reasons Why Intimate Partner Violence Survivors Stay in Their Relationships, Everyday Feminism
In February 2012, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (now the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology) issued a position paper recommending universal screening for intimate partner violence .

Learning Modules

Domestic Violence: Understanding the Basics
DVeducation.ca , sponsored by Women’s College Hospital, Canada, has learning modules targeting health care professionals and others can benefit from the information, as well. You must register to access the free modules. Embed link in title.
How Much Do you Know About Stalking? Quiz from the Stalking Resource Center of the Nat’l Center for Victims of Crime, from the Office of Violence Against Women, U.S. Dept. of Justice. Embed link in title of quiz.
Intimate Partner Sexual Abuse: Adjudicating this Hidden Dimension of Domestic Violence This online course covers the legal, medical and social science aspects of intimate partner sexual abuse. It is focused on judges but is also intended for a multidisciplinary audience including court personnel. You can treat this website as a course and take it straight through or as a resource, accessing the background resources, modules, developing issues, recommendations and case studies on an as-needed basis. Registration is required for the free modules, developed by the National Judicial Education Program of Legal Momentum.
See the Signs: Speak Out Free bystander training programs available from a partnership of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, JWI, No More and Avon Foundation. Be an Upstander, learn how to Recognize, Respond and Act. Check out these free online modules, available in English and Spanish, with registration.

Resources for Parents

Children and Domestic Violence Fact Sheet Series – The National Child Trauma Stress Network Domestic Violence Collaborative Group announces a new series of fact sheets created for parents whose children have been affected by domestic violence. The set of 10 fact sheets gets to the heart of the experiences and needs of these children and families, and offers education in support of their resilience and recovery.
Resources for Families What do kids need? Find Best Practices for serving children, youth and parents experiencing domestic violence.
The Childhelp National Abuse Hotline is available 24 hrs. a day, every day of the year. All calls are anonymous and toll-free. Communication is available in 170 languages. Downloadable resources, related to safety plans, dealing with difficult behavior words of encouragement for children and more, are also available.
The Domestic Violence Resource Network (DVRN ) is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to inform and strengthen domestic violence intervention and prevention efforts at the individual, community, and societal levels. It currently includes two national resource centers, four special issue resource centers, three culturally-specific resource centers, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and the National LGBTQ DV Capacity Building Learning Center
The National Domestic Violence Hotline aids victims of domestic violence 24 hours a day. Hotline advocates assist victims, and anyone calling on their behalf, by providing crisis intervention, safety planning and referrals to local service providers. The hotline receives more than 24,000 calls a month. 800-799-SAFE (7233)
End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin mission is to promote social change that transforms societal attitudes, practices and policies to prevent and eliminate domestic violence, abuse and oppression. Their website includes resources access to services, economic justice, legal issues, public policy, outreach to underserved communities and more.
Futures Without Violence provides resources and training related to all aspects of violence, including webinars, resources on a continuum of topics related to violence, and downloadable articles/manuals.
For almost two decades, the National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence (The Center) has supported health care professionals, domestic violence experts, survivors, and policy makers at all levels as they improve health care’s response to domestic violence. The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Family & Youth Service Bureau, funds the Center. Embed link in italicized name.
The National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health was established in 2005 with funding from the FVPSP. Its mission is to develop and promote accessible, culturally relevant, and trauma-informed responses to IPV and other lifetime trauma so that survivors and their children can access the resources that are essential to their safety and well-being.
State and national resources for domestic violence , includes a safety plan, national domestic violence hotline, state-by-state legal information, and more
Help for Abused and Battered Women provided by HELPGUIDE.org, a trusted guide to mental, emotional and social health through a partnership with Harvard University
National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center The Mission of NIWRC is to support culturally grounded, grassroots advocacy and to provide national leadership to ending gender-based violence in Indigenous communities through the development of educational materials and programs, direct technical assistance, and the development of local and national policy that builds the capacity of Indigenous communities and strengthens the exercise of tribal sovereignty. Access educational and advocacy resources on this website.
The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV ), a social change organization, is dedicated to creating a social, political and economic environment in which violence against women no longer exists.
Youth.gov Victims of teen dating violence often keep the abuse a secret. They should be encouraged to reach out to trusted adults like parents, teachers, school counselors, youth advisors, or health care providers. They can also seek confidential counsel and advice from professionally trained adults and peers. Find resources for teens involved in abusive relationships here.
Transitional Housing Toolkit This toolkit is meant to provide transitional housing providers with easy access to information and resources to enhance services to survivors. The information provided here addresses frequently asked questions, common challenges, best practices, templates for adaptation, and resources for additional information and assistance.
Domestic Violence Oklahoma State Department of Health. Oklahoma Home Visitor Training. Enter ‘Oklahoma Home Visitor Training, Domestic Violence webinar’ in website’s search bar to gain access to the training.
Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Oklahoma State Department of Health. Oklahoma Home Visitor Training. August 2008 – Prevention Webinar presented by the Federal Interagency Work Group on Child Abuse and Neglect’ in website’s search bar to access webinar

Engaging Families

Boosting School Readiness through Effective Family Engagement Series, “What you do and say matters! Explore and practice everyday strategies to develop Positive Goal-Oriented Relationships with a family. Four different simulations provide strategies and opportunities for you to practice skills to build bonds with families, help families develop and set goals, explore strength-based attitudes during challenging times, and have conversations about developmental concerns. Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, U.S. Dept. of Health Services
“ Engaging Families in Case Planning ,” Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2012
Strength-based parenting improves children’s resilience and stress levels Medical Press
Why Don’t We Prepare Men for Fatherhood? The Good Men Project
Engaging Families in Home Visiting: Why Does Family Engagement Matter? , The Institute for Child and Family Well-Being (UW-Milwaukee and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin)
Engaging Families: Field Guide to Making Home Visits Matter. “This field guide intended for social workers in child welfare, includes strategies for engaging families, steps for working with resistance and developing a working agreement, and tasks that a worker or support person can do to assist families through each stage of the process.” Maine Dept. of Children and Families Div. of Youth and Family Services, 2012.
Family Engagement: Partnering with Families to Improve Child Welfare Outcomes , Bulletin for Professionals, Sept. 2016. Child Welfare Information Gateway. Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS.
News You Can Use: A Circle of Support for Infants and Toddlers – Reflective Practices and Strategies in Early Head Start, Explore strategies and issues to consider to overcome a break down in reflective practice, and suggestions for encouraging parents to reflect and build on parenting practices.

Recognition

Appreciation Coupon_English
Appreciation Coupon_Spanish
Resources including Public Service Announcements, media strategies and talking points are available by clicking the link to the Parents Anonymous NPLM toolkit.

Early Intervention Video Library “This video library is designed to be a central resource for EI videos which can be used for professional development, preservice preparation, public awareness, and individual study. These videos address a variety of topics and represent EI as provided in a variety of states. All videos embedded in this site are available as free resources.”

Ethics and Boundaries Ethics and Boundaries

ANA – Code of Ethics
NAEYC – Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment
NOHS – Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals
NASW – Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers
NASW Setting and Maintaining Professional Boundaries
Home Visitors’ Handbook: Ethical Considerations , The Office of Head Start, in the Administration for Children and Families provides an interactive online handbook for home visitors. This page of the handbook focuses on ethics.
Maintaining Professional Boundaries and Ethics in the Home Visitation Setting , (PowerPoint) Michael Provost, LCSW, Parents as Teachers Program Director (Parents Possible).
Analysis of an Ethical Dilemma in Child Welfare in The New Social Worker (Fall, 2008).
Client Relationships and Ethical Boundaries for Social Workers in Child Welfare in The New Social Worker (Winter, 2009).

Health Insurance and Other Benefits

A Minor’s Right to Consent to Treatment and Authorize Disclosure of Protected Health Information .
Crisis Services: Someone to Contact . The State of Wisconsin provides several health hotlines (and warmlines) to connect individuals to crisis and non-crisis services.
Prenatal Care Coordination. Prenatal Care Coordination is a Medicaid and Badger Care Plus benefit that helps pregnant women get the support and services they need to have a healthy baby.
Covering Kids Wisconsin The Covering Kids & Families initiative seeks to enroll eligible, uninsured children and adults in Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
Covering Wisconsin , Their mission is to connect residents with and promote effective use of insurance coverage and other programs that support health. The site includes How to Sheets, Find Local Help, Help Using Health Insurance, tips for applying for Medicare, BadgerCare Plus (Medicaid) and the Health Insurance Marketplace.
IPV Health . IPV Health cultivates partnerships between health care providers and domestic violence advocates to promote survivor’s health and safety.

Home Visitor Safety Reading Materials

Bed Bugs – Home Visiting
Home Visitor Safety – 2023 – Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center
Safety Best Practices for Home Visitors . Center for Prevention Research and Development, Oct. 2015.
Meth Watch Program Home Visitor Safety Tips https://secure.in.gov/meth/files/Employees_Home_Visitors_Safety_Tips.pdf
Personal Safety for Visiting Professionals – (PowerPoint) Indiana Dept. of Children Health Services

Videos and Training Modules

Home Visitor Safety: Staying Safe and Aware on the Job
Staying Safe as a Home Visitor Webinar : Presented by Police Department of Manchester, NH
Home Visiting Safety and Other Practical Matters webinar Presented by New York State Community Action Association
Preventing Lice and Scabies
Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Scabies

Human Service Agencies

Wisconsin Community Program, Social Service, and Human Service Agencies – Links are provided to every county health and human services department in the state of Wisconsin

Want Happier Kids? Cuddle More , Yahoo Parenting
Abusive Head Trauma: How to Protect Your Baby , HealthyChildren.Org
The Neuroscience of Calming a Baby , Psychology Today
Forbes: Can We Stop A Traumatized Child From Becoming A Traumatized Adult?
Penn State: Helping parents understand infant sleep patterns
In the Playroom: Helping Your Child’s Speech and Language
Desert News – National: How raising kids within routines boosts social and emotional health
The Atlantic: How Supportive Parenting Protects the Brain
Why Don’t We Prepare Men for Fatherhood? Huffington Post

Online Learning Activities

The Protective Factors Overview learning activity is an introduction for anyone who would like to gain a better understanding of the five Protective Factors. This interactive learning activity provides a synopsis of the five Protective Factors, their relevance and their characteristics, opportunities to practice identifying them and an understanding of how a strengths-based approach is integral to building these Protective Factors.
Hospital for Sick Children: Why is it important to Comfort your child? (1:08)
Love, a low tech solution – Laura Peterson, TEDx Talks (16:40)
Parenting Newsletters and Other Parenting Resources from the University of WI Extensio n, includes audio podcasts and downloadable resources for expecting parents and parents of children in every stage – from infants through teenagers, related to developmental stages, temperament, and useful strategies for parents.
Head Start: National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagment
Zero to Three
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) presents complex and difficult issues for families, communities and home visiting programs. Research articles about IPV and its effects can be found at the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services’ Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Breastfeeding

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) offers breastfeeding information and links to breastfeeding promotion and education resources .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides breastfeeding information for families, communities, and health providers, including answers to Frequently Asked Questions, approaches to promotion and support, and recommendations for safe handling of human milk, and links to programs such as the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative .
AllBabiesCryBrochure

Parent Leadership

Five Similarities Between Leadership and Parenting , Forbes Magazine, Brent Gleeson, 2014.
Effective Leadership and Parenting for Challenging Times Foster Cline, MD. Happy Heart Families,
Parenting Styles: the Situational Approach , Penn State Leadership Blog
Leadership and Parenting: Parallels , Penn State Leadership Blog
Leadership Begins at Home , Michael McKinney, Leadership Minute: Building a Community of Leaders
The Role of the Parent Co-Presenter learning activity is designed provide Parent Co-Presenters with an understanding of what is involved in co-facilitating the Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work training for family serving professionals. The learning activity defines the roles of the Parent Co-Presenter and the Certified Trainer. Video montages, by current Parent Co-Presenters, highlight the benefits of serving in this role and sharing one’s story in an impactful way.
From Leadership to Parenthood: The Applicability of Leadership Styles to Parenting Styles , Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 2006, Vol. 10, No. 1, 43-56.
Building Parent Leadership Manual, Georgia Dept. of Education. This manual was created to assist organizations and parent leaders in organizing, planning, and implementing events, activities, and outreach programs to promote parent leadership in schools and communities.
Parents Anonymous
The Influence of Fathers on Young Children’s Development Zero to Three National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families

Poverty and Financial Capacity Building

Stresses of Poverty May Impair Learning Ability in Young Children . U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health
Children in Poverty: Key Facts About Child Poverty (Jan. 2019) Child Trends.
Estimating the Economic Cost of Childhood Poverty in the United States , Social Work Research, Vol. 42, Issue 2, June 2018, found on Oxford Academic Social Work Research website.
American Psychological Association’s journal, Monitor on Psychology, July/Aug. 2015 cover story, Fighting Poverty . New research is finding ways to help people overcome poverty and avoid the mental and physical health problems associated with low socioeconomic status.
How to Reduce Poverty in the United States , University for Poverty Research, UC Davis, 2015.
Five Ways to End Poverty in the United States (BorgenProject.Org, 2016). These tips help all of us think about the roles we can take to reduce poverty in our country.
Poverty and Parenting Young Children: The Role of Parenting in the Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty. (Focus. Vol. 33, No. 2. Spring/Summer 2017. Found on Institute for Research on Poverty, UW-Madison’s website.)

Reports/Statistics

United States Census Bureau’s I ncome and Poverty in the United States: 2015 . This report presents data on income, earnings, income inequality, and poverty in the United States based on information collected in the 2016 and earlier Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements (CPS ASEC) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.
United States Census Bureau’s Poverty Data , provides poverty data from several household surveys and programs. Here you can find poverty estimates, learn about these surveys and programs, and get guidance on how to choose the right estimate for your needs.
Wisconsin Poverty Report: Treading Water in 2017: the Eleventh Annual Report of the Wisconsin Poverty Project (2019) is from the Wisconsin Poverty Project, Institute for the Research on Poverty, UW Madison.
Poverty’s Effect on Infants and Toddlers Infographic (Sept. 2018). Zero to Three.
WI ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Report . United Way of Wisconsin 2016. Despite recent reports of overall improvement in employment and gains in median incomes, the economic recovery in Wisconsin has been uneven. This Report updates the cost of basic needs in the Household Survival Budget for each county in Wisconsin, and the number of households earning below the amount needed to afford that budget (the ALICE Threshold). The Report delves deeper into county and municipal data and looks at the demographics of ALICE and poverty-level households by race/ethnicity, age, and household type to reveal variations in hardship that are often masked by state averages.
U.S. Census Bureau Library for Income and Poverty data contains static, printable materials.
2Gen Tools to Help Children and Families Thrive is a resource for programs implementing state, federal and local programs serving children and families, published by the Dept. of Education.
Pediatricians’ Guide to Poverty Resources – Wisconsin
Federal Poverty Guidelines determine enrollment in state health care and other programs.
99 Great Resources Confronting Poverty and Hunger , from MSWOnlinePorgrams.org, resources for social workers.
National Center for Homeless Education Wisconsin data and information.
Wisconsin Community Action Association , whose goal is to help low-income individuals and families escape poverty. WISCAP believes in personal and in community responsibility to ensure economic opportunity.
Wisconsin Homeless Assistance Agencies , U.S. Housing and Urban Development.
Benefits.gov – Your Path to Government Benefits in Wisconsin .
Wisconsin Fathers for Children and Families: Legal Services for Low-Income Parents – Low Income Legal Resources by regions of the state.
Financial Literacy Resource Directory provides information on financial literacy resources, issues and events that are important to bankers, organizations, and consumers of all ages. The directory includes descriptions and contact information for a sampling of organizations that have undertaken financial literacy initiatives as a primary mission, government programs, fact sheets, newsletters, conference materials, publications, and links to Web sites. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, U.S. Dept. of the Treasury
MyMoney.gov contains information, games and fun facts related to money, saving and planning for youth; curricula, tip sheets, lesson plans, guidance and helpful tools for teaching financial capability for teachers/educators; and a clearinghouse of federally-funded research reports, datasets, and articles on financial capability and related topics for researchers/other professionals.
The Balance : The Balance Money Website is a great tool for people new to budgeting. “Use this budget calculator to plan for your savings goals and manage your expenses. Fill out all fields that apply to you and make adjustments to see how you could save more.”
Good Budget : Share this budgeting website and app with families, help them to…“Spend, save, and give toward what’s important in life”

Tools for Professionals

Your Money, Your Goals Toolkit i s a financial empowerment toolkit designed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The toolkit helps organizations understand when and how to introduce to clients’ financial empowerment concepts such as goal- setting, saving for emergencies, managing debts, understanding credit, and choosing safe and affordable financial products. English | Spanish
National Human Services Directory (NHSA) is comprised of over 55 of the largest national nonprofit human service organizations. In aggregate, members and their affiliates and local service networks collectively touch, or are touched by, nearly every household in America—as consumers, donors, or volunteers. NHSA staffs four different initiatives through which leaders can work together to improve family stability and well-being.
9 Ways to Reduce Poverty, from PBS’s Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of our Nation.

Pregnancy and Maternal Health

Professional Readings

Breastfeeding Protects against Environmental Pollution. (2015). Science Daily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150522083414.htm
Substance Abuse While Pregnant and Breastfeeding https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/substance-use-in-women/substance-use-while-pregnant-breastfeeding
Fetal Alcohol Exposure Fact Sheet. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/FASDFactsheet/FASD.pdf
Racial and Ethnic Infant Mortality Gaps and Socioeconomic Status (2014) Institute for Research on Poverty research publication. http://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/focus/pdfs/foc311f.pdf
Understanding Racial and Ethnic Disparities in U.S. Infant Mortality Rates. Data Brief, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. (2011). https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db74.pdf
The Periscope Project Website contains work from the Wisconsin project which hosts a consultation line and other resources to support professionals working with new parents, that may be struggling with perinatal mental health and depression. This site provides information on screening guidelines and resources beyond the Perinatal Algorithm training. On the site you will find screening tools, educational modules/ videos and tools on a variety of perinatal mental health topics.
Promote, coordinate and develop perinatal care in Wisconsin
Aid in the development and implementation of programs to improve the health and health care of pregnant women and newborn infants
Improve public understanding and awareness of perinatal health care
Prenatal Care Coordination , Wisconsin Department of Health Services
March of Dimes has information for families, communities, and professionals on a variety of topics designed to promote healthy pregnancies and babies, including prenatal care, and preterm labor and premature birth .
Text4baby is a free health education text message service (with most cell carriers) for pregnant women and mothers of babies under one year of age. Anyone can sign up!
National Maternal and Oral Health Resource Center – Georgetown University https://www.mchoralhealth.org/highlights/pregnancy.php This collection of selected resources offers high-quality information about pregnancy and oral health. Use the website tools for further searching, or contact them for personalized assistance.
Maternal and Child Health Bureau https://mchb.hrsa.gov/ Covers MCH domains: maternal/women’s health, perinatal and infant health, child health, adolescent health, and children with special health care needs, data, research & epidemiology and more.
Breastfeeding Facts and Research. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/index.htm The CDC’s webpage includes Guidelines and Recommendation, Diseases and Conditions, Data and Statistics, Research, Promotion and Support, National Policies and Positions, Frequently Asked Questions.
Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding – Medline Plus (U.S. National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000803.htm
Tip Sheet Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
Saving Our Babies “The gap in birth outcomes between Black and white women in Dane County and Wisconsin has persisted for decades, while Black mothers and birthing people across the state face consistently higher rates of maternal deaths each year. We are collaborating across sectors to implement community-driven solutions to end this crisis and produce better birth outcomes for Black families.”
Nips and Babes “Forging a way for all birthing people to access a new model of comprehensive care: quality doula, lactation, emotional and parenting supports in Dane County.”

Professional Practices and Skills

Competencies and Best Practices

Challenges and Best Practices for Scaling Home Visiting Programs, New America education policy program, Conor P. Williams, 4/15/14.
Infant Mental Health Competency Guidelines for Infant Mental Health Endorsement , Providing services that promote healthy social-emotional development during the first years requires a unique knowledge base and skill set. Learn more about the competency guidelines that provide a framework for establishing and recognizing expertise of professionals who work with pregnant women and families with children ages birth to 3 years old.
Competencies and Best Practices, add Home Visiting: Supporting Parents and Child Development, Zero to Three policy briefs and planning tools.
Best Practices in Early Childhood Home Visiting , MSW research paper is a qualitative research exploration of the best practices surrounding the specific realm of home visiting, focused on ages three to five, specific to school readiness. Author: Shannon Melody Karsten
Tips for Making Home Visits in Child Welfare, The New Social Worker
FAN tool developed by Erikson’s Fussy Baby Network becomes a national model
Motivational Interviewing
Online Tutorials for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants, Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development free modules.
The National Family Support Network’s Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support were issued by the California Network of Family Strengthening Networks (CNFSN) in 2012, and adopted by the National Family Support Network in 2013. They are the first and only standards in the country to integrate and operationalize the Principles of Family Support Practice with the Strengthening Families Frameworks and its research-based evidence-informed 5 Protective Factors. The vision is that their implementation will help ensure that families are supported and strengthened through quality practice.

Program Administration Tools

Critical Elements
Core Competencies

Federally Recognized Evidenced-Based Home Visiting Models

Healthy Families of America
Parents As Teachers
Nurse Family Partnership
Early Headstart

Program Evaluation Professional Reading

The 2017 W. K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook is designed for people with little or no experience with formal evaluation, making evaluation practices accessible to grantees, nonprofits and community leaders.
Designing Evaluations , 2012 Revision Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office Description: “This methodology transfer paper addresses the logic of program evaluation designs. It introduces key issues in planning evaluation studies of federal programs to best meet decision makers’ needs while accounting for the constraints evaluators face. It describes different types of evaluations for answering varied questions about program performance, the process of designing evaluation studies, and key issues to consider toward ensuring overall study quality.”
How Nonprofits Can Use Data to Solve the World’s Problems , December 2012 Author: Victor Luckerson
National Conference of State Legislatures, Home Visiting: Improving Outcomes for Children (4/26/2018) .
Using Data to Measure Performance of Home Visiting explores a new framework for assessing effectiveness of home visiting programs. (2015)
A Framework for Program Evaluation: A Gateway to Tools provides a synthesis of existing best practices and a set of standards that can be applied in almost any setting. It provides a stable guide to design and conduct a wide range of evaluation efforts in a variety of specific program areas, made available through the Center for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas – Community Toolbox.
An Introduction to Evidence-based Programming is an implementation resource guide for social service programs provided by the Office of Family Assistance, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Other Evalaution Resources Purpose Statement: This page is a list of evaluation resources such as: program evaluation guides/manuals, manuals on specific evaluation steps (e.g., logic models, data collection methods), evaluation-related websites, key professional associations and journals.
MDRC, Design Options for Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Evaluation (DOHVE) Project Resources Purpose Statement: This page is a list of resources for Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs (such as WI’s Family Foundations home visiting sites) on issues related to strengthening their evaluations of promising programs, developing and adapting data systems to facilitate tracking and reporting on federal benchmarks, and implementing quality improvement systems.
American Evaluation Association Purpose Statement: The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association of evaluators devoted to the application and exploration of program evaluation, personnel evaluation, technology, and many other forms of evaluation. Evaluation involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies, personnel, products, and organizations to improve their effectiveness. AEA has approximately 7300 members representing all 50 states in the U.S. as well as over 60 foreign countries.

Research/Frameworks in Home Visiting Professional Reading

Specific reports/articles:

Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness Review , Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, 2011
Return on Investment: Evidence-based Options to Improve Statewide Outcomes , Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2011
Visiting Nurses, Helping Mothers on the Margins , New York Times
Opening Up Avenues of Success for New Parents , Huffington Post
Which families gain most from home visiting? , PeventionAction.Org
Policy solutions that work for low-income people , CLASP
Home Visiting Programs: An Early Test for the 114th Congress , Brookings
Police chiefs call on Congress to fund home visits for at-risk mothers , Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
EDUCATION: Home visits promote early learning , The Press-Enterprise
H ome Visiting Family Support Programs: Benefits of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program .
Home Visiting: A Service Strategy to Reduce Poverty and Mitigate Its Consequences , in the Academic Pediatrics Journal. (2016)
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps , sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, features the expected beneficial outcomes, other potential beneficial outcomes, evidence of effectiveness, implementation examples and resources.

Journals that often carry Home Visiting research articles:

Children and Youth Services Review
Prevention Science
Tribal Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness Review: Process and Results , USDHS, February 28, 2011
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness
Pew Charitable Trust, Center on the States, home Visiting Campaign, Research
Early Head Start Research and Evaluation project
Nurse Family Partnership – “Proven Results” (includes links to internal and external research)
Darkness to Light
National Home Visiting Resource Center provides comprehensive information about early childhood home visiting. Its goal is to support sound decisions in policy and practice to help children and families thrive.
Sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE) offers a thorough and transparent review of the home visiting research literature and assess evidence of effectiveness for home visiting programs that serve families with pregnant women and children from birth to age 5.
HRSA Maternal & Child Health The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program gives pregnant women and families, particularly those considered at-risk, necessary resources and skills to raise children who are physically, socially, and emotionally healthy and ready to learn. Learn more about home visiting, evidence-based models, current grantees, research and development platform, outcomes measures and download the 2017 Home Visiting Infographic related to MIECHV funded programs.https://mchb.hrsa.gov/maternal-child-health-initiatives/home-visiting-overview
Nurse Family Partnership: Helping First-Time Parents Succeed . Learn about this evidence-based nursing model of home visiting on their website.
Head Start Learning Outcomes Framework resents five broad areas of early learning, referred to as central domains. The framework is designed to show the continuum of learning for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. It is grounded in comprehensive research around what young children should know and be able to do during their early years. Explore this framework through interactive software .
Head Start’s Framework for Effective Practice uses the model of a house to represent five integral elements of quality teaching and learning for children ages birth to 5.
Tribal Evaluation Institute’s mission is to help Tribal Home Visiting Program grantees build capacity in gathering, using and sharing information to improve the health and well-being of children and families. The website makes the TEI technical assistance resources available to a broader audience of tribal program staff, community members and professionals who partner with tribal communities.
Family Spirit Home Visiting Program is a unique, evidence-based home-visiting model with a reputation for success: dependability with flexibility. It addresses intergenerational behavioral health problems, applies local cultural assets, and overcomes deficits in the professional healthcare workforce in low-resource communities. It is the only evidence-based home-visiting program ever designed for, by, and with American Indian families.
Adverse Childhood Experience’s (ACE’s) Study Video Summary
Example of home visiting/coaching

Self-Care Articles

The Power of Good Habits – Using High-Performance Habits to Achieve Significant Goals , Mind Tools
How to Transform Stress into Courage and Connection , Greater Good – the Science of a Meaningful Life
Stress Diaries – Identifying Causes of Short-Term Stress , Mind Tools
Doing More Than One Job – How to Juggle Multiple Roles at Work , Mind Tools
Minimizing Distractions – Managing Your Work Environment , Mind Tools
Secondary Traumatic Stress: A Fact Sheet for Child-Serving Professionals , The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
The Importance of Mindfulness , PsychAlive (2:41)
What is self-care and why is it important?, Anna Freud NCCF (2:55)

Sound Beginnings Module Resources

Sound Beginnings Website
Hearing Milestones Checklist
Vision Milestones Checklist Strengthening Family Coping Resources

Strengthening Family Coping Resources

Strengthening Family Coping Resources for Home Visitors (SFCR-HV) is an adaptation of SFCR, a trauma-focused, multi-family, skill-building intervention. The Milwaukee Child Welfare Partnership has two resources for home visitors to use when practicing SFCR: Strengthening Family Coping Resources: A Guide for Home Visitors and Strengthening Family Coping Resources: A Module for Home Visitors.
The Protective Factors Overview learning activity is an introduction for anyone who would like to gain a better understanding of the five Protective Factors. This interactive learning activity provides a synopsis of the five Protective Factors, their relevance and their characteristics, opportunities to practice identifying them and an understanding of how a strengths-based approach is integral to building these Protective Factors
Strengthening Family Coping Resources (SFCR) is a manualized, trauma-focused, skill-building intervention. You can learn more about SFCR by visiting their main website .

Substance Abuse

Online Modules

Relationships Matter! Learn what professionals need to know about the role of relationships in the lives of women with mental health and substance use issues. Transcripts, slides and audio recordings of the 2017 SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) webinars available. Online registration for these tutorials required. Tutorials are free to earn a Certificate of Completion, fee of $7.50 to earn NAADAC or NBCC CE units.
National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) – U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Understanding Substance Use Disorders, Treatment, and Family Recovery: A Guide for Child Welfare Professionals . This free tutorial requires online registration with the NCSACW.
Understanding Substance Abuse and Facilitating Recovery: A Guide For Child Welfare Workers , PDF
Parenting Under the Influence: The Effects of Opioids, Alcohol and Cocaine on Mother-Child Interaction , Author(s): Slesnick, Natasha.;Feng, Xin.;Brakenhoff, Brittany.;Brigham, Gregory S. Published: 2014, Journal Name: Addictive Behaviors
World Health Organization Guidelines on Substance Use and Pregnancy , PDF
Coalition Against Substance Abuse
The Likely Cause of Addiction Has Been Discovered, and It Is Not What You Think , Huffington Post
A parent’s heroin addiction, a newborn’s death sentence , Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Supporting Infants, Toddlers, and Families Impacted by Caregiver Mental Health Problems, Substance Abuse, and Trauma: A Community Guide 2012 SAMHSA: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
What are the Effects of Maternal Cocaine Use?
Principles of Substance Abuse Prevention for Early Childhood: a Research-based Guide highlights seven evidence-based principles of prevention for use in the early years of a child’s life (prenatal through age 8), developed from research funded in full or part by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This guide also lists evidence-based prevention and intervention programs that work with different populations and age groups.
Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction. This publication aims to help readers understand why people become addicted to drugs and how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug use by providing scientific information about the disease of drug addiction, including the many harmful consequences of drug abuse and the basic approaches that have been developed to prevent and treat substance use disorders.
Sex and Gender Differences in Substance Use, DrugFacts (2015). Do special issues related to women’s hormones, menstrual cycle, fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause impact their struggle with drug use?
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Fact Sheet Series. SAMHSA provides many different downloadable fact sheets related to alcohol abuse, including: The Physical Effects of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Effects of Alcohol on Women, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and the Criminal Justice System, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders by the Numbers, and more.
DrugFacts . Information from the National Institute on Drug Abuse describes methamphetamine, how it’s used, how it affects the brain, its short and long-term affects on users and treatment.
This guide to Assessment and Intervention in the Home: Women and Infants Affected by Opioids is offered by the Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care.
My Baby and Me is a program through the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation that is designed to help women with their alcohol use during pregnancy.
Bath Salt Intervention (3) Power Point Presentation
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Factsheets The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Center for Excellence recently published two Technical Assistance (TA) Impact fact sheets.
The Recovery of Hope This video helps women explore the ramifications of their substance abuse during pregnancy, as women share their personal stories.
Born Addicted
Working with Pregnant Women with a History of Substance Abuse
Pregnancy and Drug Use
The Growing Issue of Women and Substance Abuse
Sex and Gender Differences of Importance to Addiction Science. (5:29 min.) National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The Reward Circuit: How the Brain Responds to Methamphetamine (2:40 min) https://www.drugabuse.gov/videos/reward-circuit-how-brain-responds-to-methamphetamine
My Baby and Me https://www.wwhf.org/mybabyandme/ A free program, sponsored by the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation, to help Wisconsin women achieve a healthy and alcohol-free pregnancy through screenings, research-based education, phone counseling and text message support.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. CDC’s webpage that defines Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and provides facts, causes, signs, diagnosis and treatment information. Headings on this web page include: Research and Tracking, Data and Statistics, Free Materials, Alcohol Use During Pregnancy, Education and Training, Articles, Multimedia and Tools, and Information for Specific Groups. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/index.html
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is one of the 27 institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIAAA supports and conducts research on the impact of alcohol use on human health and well-being. It is the largest funder of alcohol research in the world. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/

Supervision/Reflective Supervision

“6 Ways to Create a Culture of Innovation”, 2020, Kaplan
What is Reflective Supervision?
Reflective Supervision: A Planning Tool for Home Visiting Supervisors

Reflective Supervision: What We Know and What We Need to Know to Support and Strengthen the Home Visiting Workforce

Honoring Race and Diversity in Reflective Supervision: Guiding Principles to Enhance Relationships

Three building blocks of Reflective Supervision Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health, Best Practices and Guideline for Reflective Supervision , Zero to Three

Trauma/Brain Development

Recognizing and Addressing Trauma in Infants, Young Children and their Families. “This five module tutorial, from the Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, addresses the effects of trauma on young children and their families, healing and recovery, resources, publications and interventions for childhood mental health consultants and family support professionals.” https://www.ecmhc.org/tutorials/trauma/index.html
Congressional Briefing: Elizabeth Hudson remarks Elizabeth Hudson addresses the mental health impact of violence and trauma on children. Elizabeth Hudson is a Trauma-Informed Care Consultant; University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health; Consultant to the Wisconsin Department of Health Sevrices.
Jill Botle Taylor’s Stroke of Insight Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened — as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding — she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.
How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime (16:03) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ovIJ3dsNk Childhood trauma isn’t something you just get over as you grow up. Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain. This unfolds across a lifetime, to the point where those who’ve experienced high levels of trauma are at triple the risk for heart disease.
The Paradox of Trauma (12:23) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFdn9479U3s Dr. Vicky Kelly, psychotherapist, administrator, and consultant is also a nationally known trainer in the areas of trauma and attachment. The common thread across her career has been helping victims of trauma heal. She has been an early advocate for human services to adopt “trauma-informed care,” an approach that calls for a focus not just on someone’s behavior, but, more importantly, on what drives behavior.
How Do We Stop Childhood Adversity from Becoming a Life Sentence? (15:54) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0kV7JtWiE Adverse childhood experiences are physical, sexual or emotional abuse and neglect as well as witnessing family violence, addiction or mental health episodes in the household. Evidence on the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences is presented-to give a sense of the magnitude of the problem. Research is presented which demonstrates a direct link between the level of adversity in childhood and worse outcomes in adulthood related to health, addiction, imprisonment, education and life success and evidence from the field of neuroscience, which explains this link. Ways to prevent and respond to childhood adversity and support victims are presented
The Center for the Developing Child Short PDF article regarding Early Childhood Mental Health
A series of information and online videos and tutorials from the Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation.
Creating a Culture of Care This toolkit is the result of the STARS project trauma-informed care project, sponsored by the Texas Dept. of State Health Services (2011). The toolkit can be used across human service settings and was developed broadly for this purpose.
Creating a Trauma Informed HV Program Issue Brief . This issue brief features useful strategies for implementing trauma-informed care in home visiting programs and the section Snapshots of Success From the Field: Trauma-Informed Approaches in Home Visiting , highlights Wisconsin home visiting programs.”

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Virtual Home Visiting Strategies that Support All Children and Families

Roselia Ramirez: Welcome to the Home Visitors' webinar series. We are so happy that you have joined us today. My name is Roselia, and I am one of your host presenters for this series. I'm here with my colleague, Adriana. Hi, Adriana. It's so good to see you today.

Adriana Bernal: Hi, Roselia. It's good to see you, too. Hi, everyone. As Roselia mentioned, we are so glad that you joined us today. We are with the National Center on Early Childhood Development Teaching and Learning, known as DTL. We have an exciting topic for you today to kick off our series, Virtual Home Visiting Strategies that Support All Children and Families. You are in for a special treat. We will be hearing from Dr. Brenda Jones Harden during our presentation.

Roselia: You are so right. We have a great topic lined up for you today, and it's so exciting that we get to hear from Dr. Harden. But before we jump in, we want to take a moment to recognize and acknowledge that home-visiting programs continue to be flexible in their approach to supporting families during this time. We know that many of you have gone from virtual back to in person and then back to virtual, as well as a combination of these two options. We also know that families, as well as program staff, continue to balance work and education for children as well as their own wellbeing. So, throughout our time together today, we will talk about strategies to deliver home-visiting services virtually, but keep in mind that many of these ideas and resources can support in-home, in-person visiting as well. OK, so with that said, let us review the key topics for our session today. We will begin by first setting the stage. Then, we will focus on exploring strategies and methods that support virtual home visits, and we're excited that we get to highlight some new resources that are now available on the ECLKC, or ECLKC, as well as identify some oldies but goodies to help support the work that you do with all children and families. But one more thing that we really want to emphasize before we move into today's topic is that now more than ever we need to take time to take care of ourselves. To be the best version of ourselves, we must make this a priority. I remember when I was doing home visits, I had my day carved out with chunks of time for each of my families, and then in between those visits, my mind was already working through the next visit and thinking about resources and all the things that I needed to do for my families. It can become overwhelming really quickly. So, one of the things that I found that was very helpful was taking even just a few seconds to take some deep breaths and commit and focus to one task at a time, so clearing our minds or having a mindful moment can really help alleviate that stress of the busy days that we have. So, let us try this out. Let's practice. So, take a few deep breaths with me and Adriana and commit to focusing on this hour with us. Think about what you would like to take away from our time together today, and we ask that you turn off the many thoughts that are running through your head and just focus on your breathing here. OK, so let's try this out, and we're going to call this the take five method. OK, are we ready? Let's take that first breath. [Inhaling and exhaling deeply] In. [Inhaling] Out. [Exhaling] In. [Inhaling] And out. [Exhaling] In. [Inhaling] And out. [Exhaling] And one more time. In [Inhaling] and out. [Exhaling] Alright, so that's just one strategy. In your participant's guide, we'd like to invite you to jot down at least three things that you're going to commit to doing to help take care of yourself during these times.

Adriana: Wow, that was a great exercise. Thanks so much, Roselia, for reminding us how easy it can be to take a few moments to work for ourselves, to focus and decompress. We now can move into some of the content that includes great strategies and resources that we want to share with you. And to set the stage for the connections we will be making, we want to start with Head Start Program Performance Standards. We are not going to spend a lot of time here as we know that you are familiar with these and you can revisit them any time. We just wanted to highlight a couple of things to emphasize the why of the work we do as home visitors. So, our standards tell us that a home-based program must promote secure parent-child relationships and help parents to provide high-quality early learning experiences. So, in addition, programs are designed to partner with the family, so we are planning jointly and using assessment data and we are scheduling enough time to serve all children enrolled, and of course, delivering comprehensive services in promoting positive outcomes. So, we mentioned that we have a guest speaker today. Roselia, do you want to tell us a little bit more about her?

Roselia: I most certainly will. It is such an honor to tell you about Dr. Brenda Jones Harden. Dr. Harden is the Richman professor for children and families at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. She is the co-chair of DTL's Research to Equitable Practice Advisory Group. This is a group of researchers and grantee representatives who help to inform the work of our center. Dr. Harden is also the vice president of the Zero to Three board of directors. And for more than 35 years, she has focused her work on the developmental and mental health needs of young children who are at risk, and she's interested in using her research to inform practice that promotes positive outcomes for children and home visitation in Head Start. In this first clip, listen in as Dr. Harden was asked about the unique opportunities that home visiting provides, and also, what are some of the challenges at home visitors are facing. We invite you to pull out in your participant guide and jot down some thoughts or key takeaways that come to you as you listen to what Dr. Harden shares.

Brenda Harden: Hello, everyone. My name is Brenda Jones Harden. I'm Alison Richman, professor for children and families at the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

Roselia: What are some of the unique opportunities that home visiting provides?

Brenda: You get an opportunity to observe a family and their interactions in an informal setting. Very different than in an office or a clinic or in a lab, so you're much more likely to get a sense of how family members interact with each other, but also the family's broader context, like the kind of environment that they live in, so the stresses that might affect them because of community violence, for example, but also what happens in their residence. Is this a stable, calm place or is this a place full of chaos? But also, I really believe you get a better sense of the needs of a family so you can sort of adapt that intervention to meet the family's particular needs.

Roselia: What are some of the challenges home visitors face?

Brenda: We know from the research that families who tend to be in home-based programs -- like home-based Early Head Start, for example -- are much more likely to be high risk than families who attend center-based. And if you think about it, families who are able to organize themselves enough to get a job and get their children to center-based, you can imagine that they are probably at lower risk than families who tend to be in home-based, but we have the data on this. So, they have many more concrete and psychological needs often. So, the burden on the home visitor is fairly high. But the other thing that I think is related to that is it's incumbent upon the home visitor to kind of balance case management with promotion of parent-child interaction and child development. I would argue that home visitors are so stressed, not only because of the kinds of risk factors that their parents bring, but also the fact that they're going out into these communities: there's nobody with them, they're on their own, their car might break down -- all kinds of other things. They're literally putting their lives on the line with their jobs. The other thing I think is important is to help the home visitor focus on the moment. I think what happens, whether we're parents or home visitors or clinicians and other kinds of ways or even teachers in the Head Start classroom is we get overwhelmed with the breadth of what we have to do instead of taking each moment at a time and celebrating each moment and trying to make each moment as effective as you can be.

Adriana: I don't know about all of you, but there are a few takeaways for me. I really appreciate that Dr. Harden talked about the primary population home visitors' partner with are those that tend to be high risk, as well as highlighting on the fact that home visitors must balance case management with the promotion of the parent-child relationship. So now, take a moment and share your key takeaways in that Q&A. So, we know that one of the biggest differences between home-visiting and center-based programs is that home visitors are working to promote positive parenting through effecting home-visiting practices that in turn impact child development. Because of these dynamic, we do have a unique opportunity, as Dr. Harden mentioned, as home visitors, we get a better sense of sort of a big picture view of the child's and family's strengths as well as their needs that we can then use to frame activities to better support learning experiences.

Roselia: I do believe that our audience today would agree that home visitors do have a unique opportunity. For me, listening to Dr. Harden, something that resonated was focusing on the moment, which made me hone in on remembering our home-visiting purpose which aligns with the Head Start Program Performance Standards that we began our discussion with. Our purpose as home visitors is centered around these two things. So, first is promoting secure parent-child relationships and supporting or facilitating high-quality early learning experiences. Take a moment now and reflect in your participant guide and jot down some additional things that come to your mind when you think about your purpose as a home visitor. And while folks are doing that, we want to move along and we want to explore each of these components just a little bit more. OK, so let's start with the parent-child interactions or relationships. How do we define what we mean by this process? So, for me as a visual learner, this image helped me to put it all together when we think about this as a process. In the resource widget, you have a tip sheet from rapid response virtual home visiting, and they have defined parent-child interaction as "any moment of shared attention between a parent and child and then how a child experiences the parent, how the parent experiences the child, and how these experiences impact the relationship." So, this process takes place during playtime as well as during daily routines. So, in your participant guide, we invite you to take some time and jot down some key words that really resonate with you when you think about how we define that parent-child interaction. So, take a couple of moments to just kind of jot down some of those key things that you look for.

Adriana: Thank you, Roselia. Now that we have defined what we mean by parent-child interaction, the second part of our purpose as home visitors is facilitating high-quality early learning experiences. We want to think about how we are supporting parents using daily routines as well as everyday materials in the home as learning opportunities. Take a look at the two photos here and in your participant's guide. Write down some notes about what you think these children are learning as they engage in these activities. And as you do that, I want to share some thoughts that I have. The first thing that comes to my mind is the opportunity here for language development, introducing new words, and asking open-ended questions to see what the children are thinking. Young children playing with blocks are developing their fine motor skills in exploring early math concepts as well as problem-solving. And cause and effect, of course. So, many opportunities to a daily routine. Hope you came up with some other great learning opportunities and noted them in your participant's guide.

Roselia: When we began our time together, I took a moment to acknowledge the flexible approaches of home-visiting programs, and we know that many programs continue to support their work with families virtually. As we begin to talk about some strategies, methods and resources to support families virtually, let us keep a few things in mind. First, providing information and sustaining relationships with our families is really key during this time. We need that relationship to build our partnership and to engage our families. This helps to promote security and confidence in the families’ skills to facilitate learning experiences for their children. Hearing from Dr. Harden, we are reminded that our families are high risk and they may be encountering additional stressors during this time. Our goal is to support skill building by identifying strengths and capitalizing on those strengths to support facilitation, of facilitation, of learning experiences for all children.

Adriana: So, Roselia, how about we pause here and take a moment to see how our participants are feeling about their current engagement with virtual home visits. So, now if you can just take a moment, and respond to this poll and we have a few answers for you to respond to. How would you rate your engagement with virtual home visits? So, we have A, I am engaging with all families. B, I am engaging with most of the families. C, I am engaging with some of the families, and D, it is difficult to engage families virtually. We will wait a minute to hear about your experiences and what responses do you have.

Roselia: Alright, well, it appears that most of our folks are engaging with most of their families, which is good, but we've got some work to do in that area. So far, let's review a little bit. We've spent our time focusing on our purpose and what guides the work we do with children and families, as well as acknowledging the flexibility of programs to reach families. We're going to shift gears now and dive into exploring some strategies and methods, as well as sharing some new resources that we mentioned, are now available on the ECLKC. And that will help in connecting these concepts to your daily work. OK, so as we heard from Dr. Harden, we fully recognize that home visitors face some unique challenges in their work. We know that our work as home visitors focuses on supporting parent child interactions to promote positive outcomes. So, here are some strategies to consider when planning for a virtual home visits. First is where. So, encourage families to set up the visit where the child is comfortable. Before the visit, work with the family to decide where they and their child feel most comfortable with their virtual visit. And then next is when. So, when is the best time for that virtual visit to take place. Schedule times around play time interactions, both previous and real time. And this helps to promote parents reflection of their child's development and skills and their own behaviors and skills as parents. Remember to consider routines and everyday life activities and adapt to the family's schedule when possible. And then you have the who. So, who is on camera? Of course, if this is an option. And we know that this can be difficult, especially when working with very young children. But as you saw in our video example, working with young children on camera can be possible. But we want you to consider the importance of using that camera to help you feel connected, which ultimately supports building that relationship with the parents and the children. And then lastly, we have the why. This is really about directing the visit toward the parent child interaction. We're going to talk a little more about this in a minute. But right now, we invite you to jot down some additional considerations for the families that you serve in your participation guide. And what folks are doing that, Adriana, do you want to share some suggestions about the use of cameras with families?

Adriana: Sure, Roselia. There are a few easy strategies that I have found to be helpful. First, have the parent adjust that device and camera angles so you can capture everyone on the screen or at least for part of the time. Remind the parent to move that device as needed, positioning that camera four to five feet away from the parent and child interaction. That can provide a broader view and relieve the tension a child might experience. So, encourage the parent to take-me-with-you kind of approach, which means take the device if the child moves or leaves the room. Give gentle reminders to the parent at the start of the call or even at other times during the call that other family members are welcome to join or rejoin the station. And remember that your own personal and family needs may occur during visits as we know that many of us are working from our homes, so we have to be flexible. Think to the what steps might take place and share those possibilities with the family. That makes us more relatable families see that we ourselves are managing work-life balance, so it sometimes can be helpful for the family to observe your own family interactions and see that that flexibility exists.

Roselia: Those are some great suggestions, and I really appreciate you talking about how our own personal and family needs may occur. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've been interacting virtually and folks really get to see a glimpse into my personal reality. I've got a needy cat that will decide to jump in out of nowhere, or my little dog decides to start barking uncontrollably. Or I have my 7-year-old who suddenly decides that he has an emergency, there's some type of crisis, or he just wants to pop in and see what's happening on camera. We know that life is not on pause during our virtual visits. We talked about our families and how they may be experiencing additional stressors during this time, and we heard from Dr. Harden that home visitors are balancing case management with promoting the parent-child relationship. As we're working through that balance, we want to focus on our purpose as home visitors, whether it is virtually or in person. Adriana, can you share why it's important to direct those visits toward the parent child interaction?

Adriana: Absolutely. Development and relationship patterns continue regardless of family circumstances and ongoing situations. Redirecting discussion towards parent-child interactions and child development is important to do without disrespecting or disregarding the context and content of the family's story. As we build relationships with the families, they will want to share with us, of course. So, listening to the content and context of the family's story is our first step. Then, asking questions such as, "How do you think the situation is affecting Jose?" or "Have you noticed any changes in Maria since this happened?" are ways to bring that child into conversation so parenting can be supported. You can also connect a goal to bring the focus to interactions. For instance, you can say something like, "It sounds like the week has been a very busy time for you and your family. You and Jose seem to be getting a lot of organizing done together." Even when families might think that they didn't have time to focus on specific skill, children are getting some great fine motor skills practice when they help you. You can ask them, "What else have you two been doing together?" Those are some ideas to ask the families.

Roselia: The ability to ask those reflective questions does take practice so that it becomes natural and just kind of part of your routine and interaction with the family. This is a great lead in to us sharing the new resources that have been created to support your work. So, first, we have virtual learning at home in Early Head Start and Head Start. This resource offers guidance from the office of Head Start when determining best practices for virtual learning. The resource helps to validate the importance of intentional partnering with families, nurturing the parent-child relationship, as well as the intentionality that is needed when planning for those child-family activities. As a reminder, these resources are available in the resource widget and we invite you to explore them, and then utilize your participant guide to jot down some ideas on how you might use them with your families. So, it's kind of allowing you to kind of start to put together a little resource library for yourself.

Adriana: Yeah, great information, Roselia. Resource that we want to share with you is whole ideas to help education staff plan for virtual learning. These resource contains some great suggestions and considerations. When we think about virtual learning, we just selected a few that we want to share with you today. So, let's now talk about communication and its importance. First and foremost, establish regular communication with families, determine the how and when, what means of communication they prefer, and honor their preference. So, discuss your availability to communicate with families such as days, hours of the week that you are available and anticipate a timing for response. I think this is an important one because sometimes we have different ideas of how fast people have to respond to us. So, we remember that not all families have access to electronic devices, and some might have limitations to data plans or not have access to internet or phone services at all. So, you can use multiple ways to keep families engaged in their child's learning and supported during this process. Also to communicate effectively with families with limited English proficiency in children who are dual language learners. Ideally, the home visitor will speak the family's home language. We know that it's not always possible, so make sure to plan and tap into community resources, interpretation services, or software or maybe other family members to support communication.

Roselia: Adriana, this resource also shares some tips on virtual learning events. So, typically when we meet with families in person, our visits are at least 90 minutes, but for virtual meetings, we want to keep them short, so a maximum of 30 minutes. We want to give children and families resources and ideas to foster learning at home and work with them to determine the best approach for their household, so really individualizing, and we need to know that what works for one family may not work for another. The frequency should be manageable for children and families. Make a plan that will work for the family, and then also remember that we're partnering with the family and we want to be sensitive to their unique circumstances. Continue to follow the child's lead. This is really important. They're in their homes, they're playing, they're exploring and they're learning, so we may not get to see them on camera. Also, we know that virtually, we're getting a very limited glimpse, so one idea, if feasible of course, is to ask families to share pictures or maybe videos of their child during your virtual visit. This can help you to plan for activities or determine what resources may be helpful to encourage continued development. We're going to hear more about videotaping in just a bit, so let's pause here for a minute and we have a video clip that we want you to watch in this virtual visit example. As you're watching, in your participant's guide, we want you to jot down some examples or some reflections of some key components that you see or hear during this virtual visit.

Woman: And are you still seeing him doing some nice, purposeful reaching. I know you said last time he was reaching for Dad's face.

Mother: Actually, he's doing more. We're seeing, what was it? Oh, he actually -- so, this little thing. He actually grabbed this the other day. He was on -- I don't remember if he was on his side. We're seeing a lot more side rolling --

Woman: Fully to the side.

Mother: Yeah. So, he ended up grabbing this, and he had pulled it up to his mouth and everything. Yeah, we've got one of these things, too. I've been having him go on his side, and then he likes this side in particular, and the one that has the buttons, too.

Woman: And you can activate the buttons?

Mother: Yeah, so we've been trying to work on him learning how to push.

Woman: Uh-huh.

Mother: I guess... And is he rolling to both sides pretty equally or is it at once?

Mother: I'm seeing both sides. It's almost like he'll do one and come back to center and then go to another.

Woman: OK. There we go.

Mother: Say hi.

Woman: So, if you want to tuck his shoulders just a little bit more underneath or his elbows. Sorry, right. Yeah, perfect.

Mother: We'll bring you back. Oh, good.

Woman: Very nice. Look at that little hand opening up a little bit, huh? Now let's see if you can. Uh-oh. Where'd your baby go? Hello. That's good, a smile.

Mother: Hi.

Woman: So, if you kind of back your support off just a little bit, let's see. Do you think he'll try to reach a little bit for anything in front of him yet or is that still really tough?

Mother: You like Yowie. Let's see. You want to -- Ah, and there he goes. You going to your side? You going to climb around?

Woman: I think there's a little bit of spit up, too, so maybe if you want to...

Father: No, that was just bubbles.

Woman: Bubbles. OK. Hard to tell on video.

Adriana: You know, Roselia, when I watched the video, it made me think of some additional considerations when it comes to virtual visits, and they all relate to self-awareness. In a virtual environment, our pace of listening and sharing is different. We want to be aware of our own breathing and tone as well as our body language. Our tone is very important, particularly if interacting via phone. The family and child cannot see us in by text or mail. Our tone can be misunderstood and can impact that relationship. We want to be intentional with our process to give the parent-child time to respond and join the conversation, so be sure to summarize so that everyone is on the same page with the same understanding, and plan for the next steps to set up the next appointment and develop a follow-up plan if possible.

Roselia: Self-awareness is definitely something that we need to consider as we're interacting with families virtually, so thank you for bringing that up. Particularly in a virtual environment, some of the things that you talked about can really impact how the relationship moves forward. Be sure to check out this resource, Ideas to Help Education Staff for Virtual Learning, for some additional ideas and suggestions, such as those that you see on your screen now. I did want to take a moment and talk a little more about supporting the families whose children have an IEP or an IFSP. In a moment, we're going to hear from Dr. Harden on the use of videotaping, but I wanted to share an example with you on how you might incorporate videotaping to support children with special needs. Work with the parent to videotape at different times during the day, during natural routines, during play, and then during the virtual visit, utilize the video to talk through ideas and suggestions to reinforce skills and learning. It's also an opportunity to bring together other service providers that are working with the families, those such as the speech therapist, occupational therapist or physical therapist. Oftentimes we know that the frequency of service providers is much less than what you may be providing. So, connecting with service providers in this way allows you to support the parent on the overall desired outcomes, and that everyone is working together on the same goals. OK, so these next set of new resources, I was really excited about. I can tell you from my own experience that having a daily schedule really helped me as a working parent with two young children. Supporting parents to organize their day with a daily schedule that works for them, and that it also builds in opportunities for learning within those daily routines can really move you into superhero home visitor status. In your resource widget, there are three draft daily schedule examples that are broken down by developmental age. So, you have one for children under 12 months, and then there's one for children 12 to 18 months, and then there's one for children 2 to 4 years of age. These are resources that you can use and share with your families so that they can visualize what their day could look like. And then it can help you to build in those opportunities to work on the goals that the family has established, so be sure and check them out. In addition, you can use the link on the slide to the ECLKC for some additional information regarding the importance of schedules and routines. Sometimes this is really a great place to start to empower our families in understanding and seeing how a daily schedule can really be a powerful tool for them.

Adriana: I appreciate that you mentioned goals, Roselia, because there is a new resource called Using the Family Partnership Process to Support Virtual Learning in the Home that it can support home visitors through the process of developing goals with the family. In this resource, you can learn more about the seven-step process for goal setting with families. The resource highlights reflective questions home visitors can use in each of the steps, and it helps us to ensure that we are valuing different perspectives and contributions.

Roselia: So, talking about different perspectives, in a time in which we are spending a lot of time in the virtual world, a common question that may arise is, "What about screen time?" Know that we are living in circumstances we've never experienced before, and it's important to acknowledge that many of us have relaxed the rules that we have established for screen time right now. It's important for us to talk with parents about the guidelines that have been established by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and these are highlighted on your screen for you by age groups. We want to have these conversations with parents, share the information, the research, but we want parents to understand that when it comes to learning in the home, limited and planned screen time with face-to-face interactions can provide some learning opportunities. So, we're not saying no screen time, and right now, it's the reality that we're -- that we're living in. And so, credible media for young children is a new resource that you can use and share with families to support parents, to select interactive experiences that support learning in multiple domains. When we say credible, we're referring to technology that is dynamic; it's real time; it's interactive media that encourages active exploration and social interaction. So, kind of working on that parent-child relationship.

Adriana: [Laughter] Great information, Roselia. We have covered a lot of information so far and have highlighted some great new resources which will support the strategies and methods to serving your families for sure. Earlier, we mentioned the use of videotaping. Videotaping can be a really great strategy when we think about how to be more effective as home visitors, particularly right now in these virtual environments. So, Roselia, you talked about how videotaping can be used to support parents who have children with special needs. So, let's hear what our guest expert speaker, Dr. Harden, has to say about the use of videotaping and how we can use our education managers established resource to help support our growth.

Roselia: How can education managers help home visitors increase the effectiveness of their visits?

Brenda: So, one of the things that I really believe in is the use of videotape, and more and more as we do parenting interventions in the field, we are borrowing from evidence-based parenting interventions that use videotape. So, I would argue, and I always say this to Head Start programs: If you got a little extra money and you want to spend it before the budget year is over, get some video cameras. And I think what you can do is teach home visitors how to video themselves, and we've done this. You just put the camera in a corner of the room and you pretend like it's not there. Families often forget about it; home visitors forget about it. And then bring it back to the office and have the ed manager look at that videotape with the home visitor to see, for example, like a 12-monther. Are they pulling up to stand? So, here's an opportunity to say to mom, pull that little ball a little farther and see if he'll cruise, or you got a 24-monther who says, "Cookie, cookie, cookie." You can say to the home visitor, and the ed manager knows child development like the back of their hands, of course. Look, the child is doing a single word. Let's see if we can expand the child's language and have them say, "Mommy, cookie, please." So, mom can say, "Cookie, please." So, I think really looking at the child and using what the child does in the context of the home visit is the best way. Certainly ed managers can go out with home visitors and do the coaching in Vivo. But I know that's really hard for them with the kind of workload they have, so I think using a video is a prime way to kind of get this work started.

Adriana: Yeah, videotaping can definitely be intimidating, and just like being on camera, it is sometimes something that takes time and practice to get comfortable with. So, now we are quickly coming to the end of our time together. And before we get to some questions, we wanted to mention a few oldies but goodies that we want to be sure you are connected to for your work with children and families. So, we have learned that what happens during the first five years of life is critical to healthy child development. That ELOF is a resource that supports how we approach children's growth and development in all learning domains. Anywhere you can use a ELOF@Home application that serves as a tool for home visitors to get on the go access to the ELOF goals and effective teaching practices. We also want to mention the effective practice guides. They provide information about domain-specific teaching practices that support children's development. They offer information for guidance on teaching in-home visiting practices within early learning settings and in-home environments. The Know, See, Do, Improve structure is helpful for home visitors and families to use in their planning of home visits and socialization activities.

Roselia: In addition to that, we also have the Connecting Research to Practice briefs that are available on the ECLKC. These briefs were developed to support home visitors in their work with children and families. Each brief is topic specific and reviews the latest research that is important to child development, and it helps to inform effective practices. The briefs also provide home visitors with strategies to talk with families about research on child development. And then here are some additional resources that are available to home visitors to help you stay connected and expand your knowledge. So, first we have the MyPeers home-visiting community, and this is a place to connect and collaborate with your peers. Members share thoughts and strategies on staying connected with families, as well as intentional planning for home visits and socialization activities. The individualized professional development portfolio, or the IPD, this offers self-paced courses, including the effective practice guides for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, and then the beginning home visitor series. And then there's the Text4HomeVisitors. Sign up to receive text messages with information, tips, research, and resources to strengthen and support your home-visiting practices. And then lastly, we want to encourage you to continue to visit the ECLKC Coronavirus Prevention and Response page for the latest news and updates and resources. We know that things are quickly changing. And then this is -- this is a great resource for you to stay connected as those changes are happening. OK, so let's take a breath here. Adriana and I, I feel like we've covered a lot of information in a short amount of time. We hope that you will take these new resources and share them with your families, with your teens, reflect with your education managers, but ultimately utilize them to support your virtual home-visiting practices. We want to use the final minutes of our time together to respond to your questions. So, Adriana and I are going to go off camera so that we can sort through questions and look for some themes. And so, right now, what we want is, want to encourage you to enter any questions related to today's topic into the Q&A. And we're going to, as I mentioned, we're going to go in there, we're going to sort through, and we want to take some time to answer your questions. So, let's get started with that. OK, so before we get started, as a reminder, we do want to let you know that if we do not get to your question, our plan is to put together a document with questions as well as those responses and then post that in the MyPeers home-visiting community. So, be sure to submit your questions. And again, if we don't get to them today, please don't feel that we didn't see your question, but we just want to make sure that we capture all the questions and then put those in a document with the responses in the MyPeers community. Alright, so our first question... This is actually a question that we saw that came up in the MyPeers home-visiting community as well. And so, the question was asking for ideas on how to make home visits more inviting. Adriana, do you have some suggestions based on your experience?

Adriana: Sure, I have a few ideas. One of the things that we need to remember is that regardless of the type of home visit, either in person or virtual, the foundation for success is still the same -- relationships. We need to do whatever possible to sustain those strong partnerships with families and keep the communication flowing. We know that needs have changed, and families as well as programs, need more support than ever. So, home visitors need to respond genuinely to each family needs to reinforce those partnerships. We have discussed different strategies throughout the webinar to highlight the importance of learning experiences to promote positive outcomes. So, remember to keep your enthusiasm and energy high by taking care of yourself. And of course, it is essential to be prepared and to be flexible keeping in mind that life will happen during those visits, and we need to relax and go with the flow. Now, I have an example. We need to be aware that many families might feel isolated as they maintain some distance from their friends and extended family members and many of the activities they have been part of or their routines have changed. Some programs are trying new strategies to minimize the sense of isolation by facilitating brief extracurricular activities according to the family's interest, such as cooking, gardening, meditation and yoga, dancing. So, home visitors can still be supportive by providing information about any groups in their communities that might have activities focused on the family's changing needs and interests. So, basically, we need to maintain those strong relationships with families, and home visitors are experts on that. We know that, and to be responsive more than ever to their changing needs and challenges. So, remember that all families want the best for the children, which includes effective learning, and we need to keep going back to that major goal. Always connect your activities to that goal and facilitate activities that are exciting with accessible materials, highlighting what the child will be learning and how those skills are aligned with the learning outcomes. On the other hand, home visitors also need to be supported with resources and strategies are the ones we highlighted, and also by networking with their colleagues to get fresh ideas about new strategies and activities to keep the engagement going. There is a lot of creativity out on the field. I can never stop surprising myself about the things the programs are doing, and we always learn something new and exciting when we network. So, Roselia, is there something else you would like to add?

Roselia: Yeah, just a couple of things. I agree with everything that you have shared here. When I think about making the home visiting or the experience inviting for the family, whether it's a virtual or in person, this is really based on our ability to meet the family where they are, so to speak. And I really want to emphasize the importance of that joint planning. When we're joint planning with the family, they feel a part of that process, and we want the agenda for that visit to really be based on the family needs. And then within that process, our work comes in with weaving in those opportunities for promoting parent-child interactions and then facilitating those high-quality learning experiences. So, we always want to wrap around, as we mentioned earlier in the presentation, we want to make it about the child. And then remember some of the things that we talked about regarding self-awareness, particularly if you are conducting those virtual home visits. Self-awareness is really important. The visit can seem uninviting if our approach is overbearing, and then the parents are feeling like we're not listening to them. So, just kind of be mindful of our self-awareness, and then also just kind of looping back and making it about the child. OK, so I'll turn it back over to you, Adriana.

Adriana: Yeah, I totally agree. Those are great points that we need to keep in mind. We can now move into the next question that came up that I thought will be good to share some feedback with everyone. The question is how to maintain a healthy balance while supporting families virtually. What can you tell us about that, Roselia?

Roselia: That is a really great question, and we're talking about that balance. Dr. Harden talked about the fact that, as case managers, we're not -- Not case managers, but as home visitors, we're having to maintain that balance between promoting those parent-child interactions as well as case management. So, this really lends itself to the commitment that we talked about at the beginning of our session today, and that is self-care. We really need to make this a priority. Now, I hope that I'm understanding what the individual was asking, but I would think that this is an indication that staff themselves are experiencing additional stressors during this time, right? I mean, we just can't ignore that. So, we talked a little bit about this during the presentation, but I would reiterate the importance of establishing boundaries and then committing to time for yourself. If we schedule it, then we can make that a priority. Try the deep breathing before each of the visits to kind of help clear your mind and then focus on that task at hand. And then lastly, I would also say that we need to learn to relax during the virtual visits. We are learning through this process. I mean, it's kind of one of those things that we're flying the plane as we're building it, and so we have to accept that it's not going to be perfect. And we're working with technology. I mean, there's many things around technology -- limited technology, no technology, getting comfortable ourselves, as well as getting the family comfortable with technology. And ultimately, we can sometimes create unnecessary stress for ourselves because we get caught up in all the details that we miss the bigger picture, and that is connecting with the family. So, I would say that maintaining a healthy balance is really about making a commitment to take care of ourselves so that we can then focus on and then also have energy for the families that we serve. So, with that, let's explore another question that came up, and it's related to cancelations or parents not showing up at the time of the appointment. So, what can be done to support families in these situations? Adriana, what can you say about this situation?

Adriana: Yes, Roselia, there is a lot to say because that is certainly a big one. First of all, remember to keep your partnerships strong. As we mentioned before, the stronger we sustain those relationships, the more commitment we could see from the families. Also, to set a good example, we need to keep our schedule visits agreed unless we do have a real emergency. I have found in my experience that after I canceled a visit, it will be more common for families to do so as well. So, we have to be very careful with that. So, now on the technical side, we need to prepare families for visits and ensure that they have everything they need. We know that families are experiencing challenges more than ever, and more than ever, they need our support too. So, we can start by checking in briefly via text or phone call to remind them of the visit, discussing and deciding the space in the home where the visit could take place. So, also preparing the family for what you have planned for the visit, such as we will be doing the sorting activity today and these are the skills that your child will be practicing so they can have an idea of how important each visit is and what the children are going to be learning. We also need to confirm the video and the internet access to provide if we need to provide it when it's possible, and remember to allow the parents to drive the session. Be proactive also by anticipating some issues that may occur. If the technology is not connecting, agree on a backup plan and strategies so you both know what's going to happen if things don't work out how you have planned. And finally, support set up with video for families, set clear expectations, and keep open communication. For more information, you can review one of the handouts that we have. It's called Serving in a Virtual Environment Cheat Sheet.

Roselia: Thanks, Adriana. Those were some great strategies, and I'm really glad that you remember to mention that particular resource. I think there's a lot of good information in there. So, here's a question regarding strategy, asking about strategies again. So, this one is, what are the best practices when it comes to virtual learning? And the office of Head Start has offered some guidance for best practices that come to my mind. And so, the first one is, again, stopping, taking a breath and just really focusing. We can very easily get overwhelmed, and so we want to -- we want to take that breath and focus. We know that we are all worried about families and children during these times, and we know that parents want what is best for their children, right? And we want to help them achieve their goals. So, it's important to remember guidelines that are established by your programs as well as the Head Start Program Performance Standards. With these in mind we're already starting from a good place. And then there are so many unknowns, but we know that you are working hard to make the best decisions for children and families. Also, we need to remember that we want to rely on our skills and our knowledge. We know how to do this. Partnering with families to achieve children's school-readiness goals is a core principle of Head Start, and so utilize data that's available to you. Look for guidance from the office of Head Start, local information and good common sense judgment when making decisions about how to approach virtual learning with families. So, when we think about this, here's a few guidelines to keep in mind. Virtual learning approaches must be individualized for each family situation. We know that every family is impacted by the current crisis differently. We have some parents that are working full time outside of their homes. We have some that are working staggered hours or working multiple jobs. Some are working from home, while others are out of work. And then we could also have instances of multiple families that are living in one home. These are all going to impact our ability to connect with these families virtually. So, conduct individual planning with each family to determine what their visit will look like, how long it will be, and then who will be involved, as well as languages that they prefer. And then lastly, I want to mention, because I know we're running out of time here quickly. There's many resources and supports on the ECLKC, so connect with those resources, and then also check in with your supervisors and your managers to explore what resources are available to make those connections for the individual needs that your families have. So, the ECLKC, your MyPeers community, there's resources that are available to help support your work. OK, Adriana, I'm going to turn it back over to you.

Adriana: Yeah, thank you, Roselia. It's great to know that we have all those great resources to support programs. So, well, that concludes the time we have together today. We encourage you to visit the MyPeers community to continue the conversation. Roselia and I are your new facilitators for that community, and we look forward to engaging with you there. So, thank you for joining us today, and we also want to send a thank you to Dr. Brenda Jones Harden for sharing her insights. And we look forward to hearing more from her in future sessions. So, we appreciate very much your participation, and have a great afternoon.

Home visitors value the diversity and unique contributions each family brings to creating learning opportunities within the home environment. Partnering with and engaging families virtually can bring some unique challenges that require adapting practices in meaningful and relevant ways.

In this webinar, explore strategies and resources to plan individualized virtual home visits for all children and families. Learn about new resources available to assist with virtual learning and engagement. Note: The evaluation, certificate, and engagement tools mentioned in the video were for the participants of the live webinar and are no longer available. For information about webinars that will soon be broadcast live, visit the Upcoming Events section.

Video Attachments

Webinar Slides (1.74 MB)
Participant's Guide (729.18 KB)

Additional Resources for Virtual Home Visiting Strategies that Support All Children and Families

Tips for Virtual Support of Parent-Child Interaction
Observing in the Virtual Environment Tip Sheet

« Go to Home Visiting Series

Resource Type: Video

National Centers: Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning

Program Option: Home-Based Option

Audience: Home Visitors

Series: Home Visiting Series

Last Updated: May 30, 2024

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Home Visit Safety in the Age of COVID-19
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SafeinHome Visitor Safety [With Remote Supports]
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Visitor Safety Guidelines at Absolics Inc.

COMMENTS

Home Visiting Safety: Staying Safe & Aware on the Job
This video was created by the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Public Health Division, Maternal and Child Health Section. The intended audience is public heal...
Staying Safe During Home Visits (2020)
If your job requires you to make home visits, you need the right skills in your toolbox to stay safe. That's why personal support workers like Walter Comer a...
6 Ways to Stay Safe As a Social Worker During Home Visits
In this video I wanted to cover Social Worker home visits...this is a topic that a lot... 6 Ways to Stay Safe As a Social Worker Doing Home VisitsHey Everybody!
Home Visitor Safety
Home visitors must be and feel safe if they are to support families. Home visitor safety can and must be addressed at many levels. The threat of violence does not occur only in the homes of families or in high-crime neighborhoods, but also in seemingly secure workplaces. Work conditions favorable to violence prevention require action at ...
How to Stay Safe During Home Visits
And as safety in the world community is so vital, I'm sharing the following publicly with you too. Feel free to share the tips in your staff trainings. Send this post to your colleagues. Discuss the concepts in team meetings and supervision sessions. And please share your ideas as well, as we all continue to learn and grow together.
Staff Wellness for Home Visitors
Each home visitor should receive training on how to prevent and handle safety concerns before heading out on that first home visit. Home visitor safety is a topic worthy of, well, several days of training. ... [Video begins] Brenda: First, before the visit, I let my supervisor know who I was going to visit, where I was going, and when I planned ...
Home Visitor Safety in Community Action
This comprehensive Home Visitor Safety in Community Action course is designed to equip community workers, social workers, healthcare professionals, and anyone involved in home visitation with the essential skills and knowledge required to conduct safe and effective home visits. Home visiting is a critical component of community action, aiming to provide support, education, and resources to ...
Stay Safe When People Visit Your Home
Set your thermostat fan to "on" instead of "auto" (see picture). Turn on a portable HEPA air cleaner. Turn on ceiling fans. Turn on the fan over your stove. Turn on the fan in your bathroom. Keep fans on for an hour after people leave. Easy to read information about how to stay safe from COVID-19 when people visit your home.
PDF Home Visits
Home Visit Best Practices: Using the Elevate AIDET Principle. Acknowledge all family members. Knock, smile, make eye contact, and be pleasant. Introduce yourself and your role. Duration. At the start, state how long the overall visit will take, and during the visit you may want to state the length of particular tasks.
How to undertake and record a home visit in social work
Safety first: Always inform a colleague or manager about where you are going, the purpose of your visit, and expected duration. Check if there have been any prior hazards or risks with the client or location. Make it a joint-visit if there is a need to do so. Be punctual: Respect the client's time. If you are running late, notify the client or ...
Head Start
Head Start | ECLKC
Social Worker Home Visit Checklist to Take Note Of
Any signs of depression or anxiety. Suicidal thoughts or self-harm risks. Living Conditions: Cleanliness and safety of the home. Adequate heating, cooling, and ventilation. Structural safety concerns. Family and Support System: Family members present during the visit. Availability of social support.
Home Visit Tag Along
Home Visits are a big part of being a social worker. Ride along with me as I make a home visit and share my greatest tips to staying safe. If you have any ...
Home Visiting Safety Training
This course will cover concepts for pre-planning the visit, arriving safely, conducting the visit, departing the area, and after the visit activities, including checklists for staying safe. This course teaches the warning signs of domestic abuse, drug/alcohol abuse, and aggressive behavior. The attendees will learn techniques to keep everyone ...
What Makes Home Visiting So Effective?
Home visiting can provide opportunities to integrate those beliefs and values into the work the home visitor and family do together. In addition to your own relationship with the family during weekly home visits, you bring families together twice a month. These socializations reduce isolation and allow for shared experiences, as well as connect ...
How Can You Stay Safe During Home Visits?
More CDC Safety Tips for Home Health Workers. During the visit, use basic safety precautions by (1) being alert, (2) evaluating each situation for possible violence, and (3) watching for signals of impending violent assault, such as verbally expressed anger and frustration, threatening gestures, signs of drug or alcohol abuse, or the presence ...
30 Safety Tips for the Home Care Nurse
Flashlight and extra batteries. 7. Park on the street if possible. You don't want to be blocked in if you need to leave quickly. 8. Trust your gut. If a situation feels unsafe, it probably is, and you need to get out quickly. Make sure the patient is safe, leave the home, and call your supervisor. 9.
Direct Service Providers for Children and Families: Information for
Home visitors can encourage families to monitor children at home for fever (a temperature of 100.4 ºF (38.0 ºC) or other signs of illnesses that could be spread to others [PDF - 1 page], including COVID-19, and adjust visit schedules if needed. Services may be provided virtually during quarantine or isolation if feasible.
Resource Toolkit for Home Visiting and other Early Childhood
Welcome to the WCWPDS Home Visiting Resource Toolkit, designed to support home visiting professionals working with families. This toolkit offers a comprehensive collection of resources, including articles, webinars, websites, books, and training opportunities. Our goal is to provide current research and practical tools to enhance your practice. Explore topics such as trauma, mental health ...
Virtual Home Visiting Strategies that Support All Children and ...
We know that our work as home visitors focuses on supporting parent child interactions to promote positive outcomes. So, here are some strategies to consider when planning for a virtual home visits. First is where. So, encourage families to set up the visit where the child is comfortable.
PDF WORKER SAFETY DURING HOME VISITS
Tips for Home Visit • If possible, set up a video interview or interview by phone while client is viewed through a window or interview from the front door entrance without entering the home • Bring only items necessary for visit to the home • Avoid placing belongings on tabletops and counters unless disinfected before setting down
Inside a Home Visit
In the Ounce's evidence-based home visiting programs, parent coaches provide child-development and parenting information to help parents create safe, stimula...
Home Safety Visit Resources
The online Guide to Home Safety Visits and a companion video demonstrate best practices for home safety visits. Developed by the Washington State Association of Fire Marshals and Vision 20/20, this online guide is an invaluable tool for you to use when doing home safety visits in your community as part of a Community Risk Reduction program.
PDF Home visit or friendly chat? What makes a virtual home visit a visit?
community safety advisory impedes the ability to conduct a home visit with a family, a virtual home visit, via phone (skype, FaceTime or other video technology preferred), can be counted when documented on a home visit record and the goals of a home visit are met including some of the focus areas (below). Promotion of positive parent-child ...