Where Families Find Support + Communities Grow Strong.​
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We’re a statewide coalition of home visitors, advocates, and community partners working to make sure every Minnesota family has the support they need to thrive. From the first days of pregnancy through the early years, home visiting builds connection, confidence, and opportunity.​​​​​​​​​
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Why Does Family Home Visiting Matter Now?​
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 and families who are experiencing chronic stress, which often includes parents 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.
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Return on Investment! Home visiting is a voluntary 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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Our Stories
Behind every home visit is a story of trust built over time, challenges navigated together, and families finding their strength. In this collection, members of our coalition share reflections from their work alongside families and communities.
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We invite you to share some of your experiences with the families and the individuals in your program. Your insights will help shine a light on the impact of home visiting and the families you serve. Share Your Story Today!
A Transformative Journey
"A client was referred to our program with an open CPS case. At first, they attended parenting sessions only sporadically. Soon after, their children were removed from the home following a severe abusive incident in which the client had been present, though the perpetrator was unknown.
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After this, the client entered treatment and began engaging meaningfully in our program. Because of the severity of the incident, a termination of parental rights (TPR) was filed, and every professional involved told me that reunification would not be possible. Still, I committed to working with the parent if they wished to continue.
Although initially hesitant, the client slowly invested in the process. They showed up consistently, worked their case plan, and maintained their sobriety. A new CPS worker later assigned to the case offered stronger support, and together we advocated for the parent’s progress - progress that eventually became impossible for others to ignore.
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Over two years, the parent moved steadily through all stages of visitation, from no contact to supervised visits, then unsupervised visits, and ultimately a trial home placement. Their case shifted from TPR to CHIPS, which is extremely rare. During this time, they embraced healthy, trauma-informed parenting practices and even became a Certified Peer Specialistin recovery.
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When the case finally closed, the parent was fully reunified with their children. A small ceremony was held in court, where they introduced their children to the judge and heard words of pride and encouragement from everyone involved. Witnessing their transformation was incredibly meaningful, and I remain deeply proud of all they accomplished once they had support and people who believed in them."
The Benefits of Family Home Visiting
"She was a first-time parent with a tiny newborn and a graduate degree still in progress, finishing school while on maternity leave, trying to hold it all together. Our first visits were about weight checks. Numbers. Charts. Making sure her low-birth-weight baby was growing.
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But very quickly, it became about more than that. “I just need to know I’m not failing him,” she said quietly during one visit.
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She loved her baby deeply, and their connection was clear. Still, breastfeeding challenges and slow weight gain made every well-child check feel heavy. Each appointment left her more discouraged, questioning her instincts and her ability to meet her baby’s needs.
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Week by week, trust grew. She began asking questions, seeking reassurance, and exploring Promoting First Relationships materials. Together, we shifted the focus: from fear to strengths, from pressure to progress. We talked about development, safety, and small, achievable goals.
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“I didn’t realize how much I needed someone to see what was going right,” she shared.
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By the time we reached closure, she stood in a different place. She felt steady. Capable. Ready. Not because everything was perfect - but because she trusted herself, and the strong bond she had built with her child."
Walking Alongside: Witnessing Resilience and Renewal
"When I first met the family of seven, they had already endured thirteen years in a refugee camp before arriving in the United States from Sudan. The children were spaced two to three years apart, and the parents were navigating employment, finances, and a first pregnancy in a new country. I was in my first year as a home visiting nurse, still learning what it meant to truly support families in their homes.
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I introduced myself through an interpreter and began by asking about their goals. They needed help finding work, accessing resources, and understanding systems that were entirely unfamiliar. I connected them with the Family Resource Center, a social worker, disability services, the Father Project, and IMAA to help meet needs beyond my scope. But alongside the practical support, I made space to ask a simple question: “How are you doing?”
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Often, there was a pause. In the rush of appointments and paperwork, I wondered if anyone had stopped to ask about their emotional well-being. That pause taught me the power of therapeutic communication - of naming feelings, listening deeply, and showing empathy.
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Over time, I saw change. The parents grew more confident navigating resources and appeared less overwhelmed. The children became more comfortable and expressive. One day, the father walked in smiling brightly to share that he had secured a job and earned his driver’s license. His pride filled the room.
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The parents later shared their appreciation for my support, even amid the challenges of transition. Their words reminded me why I love home visiting. This family taught me patience, active listening, and the balance between guiding tasks and holding space. They showed me what steadfast parenting looks like despite hardship, and that while I cannot fix everything, I can walk alongside families as they build their own stability and hope."
