

What is Family Home Visiting?
Family home visiting provides voluntary stabilizing
support for at-risk families where they are most comfortable,
at home and in their community. Children who meet healthy
physical and cognitive development benchmarks during the
first three years are more likely to be prepared for school, have
stronger relationships, and ultimately have healthier, more
stable and prosperous lives.
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Without opportunities to achieve desired outcomes for children and families living in poverty, we can expect to see continued stress which can lead to negative health and educational outcomes for children.
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Currently, one in three infants and toddlers live in poverty in Minnesota. Research shows financially stressed families are more likely to have strain and instability that pressures relationships between parent and child.
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Families Receiving Home Visiting Have Greater Access to:
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Connections to health care services to improve pregnancy and birth outcomes of the child,
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Opportunities and support to develop secure attachment with their children,
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Support for their child’s physical and mental health development,
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Support for maternal health and employment needs, and/or
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Connections to community resources.
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Why Does Family Home Visiting Matter?​
Early is Best! During the first three years of life, a positive, healthy relationship with a parent or caregiving figure is the most important factor for successful development. These relationships not only provide a safe and healthy environment for physical growth, but also positive interactions that support healthy emotional and social development, and learning.
Brain development is at its peak prenatally and during the earliest months and years of life. Infant and child experiences during this time set the brain’s capacity and patterns which have a powerful influence on child outcomes for the rest of life. The children at highest risk for poor outcomes have mothers with limited education and low incomes; many are single or teen parents. Advances in neuroscience point to the life-long impact of toxic stress (unrelenting and un-buffered by a caring adult) on adult health and ability to learn.
Return on Investment! Home visiting is a service delivery strategy frequently used to build relationships with parents and children to promote family health and wellness, to increase parental competence and to foster healthy early childhood development. Home visiting programs help build the foundation for the healthy and productive workforce that businesses need. Research proves the potential of properly designed and implemented home visiting programs to transform the lives of at-risk expectants and new parents and their babies and generate significant returns on taxpayer investments.
Evidence of positive Return On Investment (ROI) for high quality home visiting has been documented and estimates vary. The Minneapolis Federal Reserve’s estimate is 5:1 ROI. Other reports cite improved health outcomes for both parent and child, increased family financial stability, reduced isolation, reduced child maltreatment, improved school success and graduation, and reduced crime.
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Who does Home Visiting in Minnesota?
Trained professional and paraprofessionals provide parents with the tools they need, empowering them to support their family and child, from pre-natal and pediatric health care to establishing connections to social and community services.
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The MN Family Home Visiting Directory
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The Minnesota Home Visiting Directory is prepared by the Minnesota Coalition for Family Home Visiting and features various local public health, tribal health, nonprofit, early childhood family education, early head start, and community-based home visiting programs and organizations across the state of Minnesota.

This is not an exhaustive list but a tool to support families and their home visitors locate and contact home visiting services, no matter where they live in Minnesota. This partnership is intended to help home visitors to make warm handoffs to families as they move across county lines and or graduate programs––search for services by county or program type!
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If you would like to add your home visiting program to the directory, or if you would like to update your entry, please fill out this form! ​