About

“In the United States, 42 percent of children under 6 – a total of 10.2 million children – live in poverty. These youngsters are more likely than better-off children to experience a range of problems. One way to address the educational and health needs of these often hard-to-reach children is through home visitation – sending individuals into homes to match needs with services. “(SRCD, Social Policy Research Brief) vol 23, 4, 2009)

Home visiting has been used for more than 100 years in the United States as a way of reaching out to provide families assistance in their own homes

Nurses, social work, and teachers are major providers of home visiting services, though other professionals – including physicians, psychologists, counselors, occupational therapist, and speech therapist – also provide services in the home. Paraprofessionals are also an important part of this work force.

Services may be offered to all families in a community, such as services to all families with a newborn.  Services may also be targeted, focused on families with a child at risk for poor health or educational outcomes.

Barbara H Wasik
wasik@unc.edu