What do Home Visitors Do?

How Home Visitors Describe What They DoHow Families Describe Supportive Home Visitation Practice
Provide encouragement
  • Encourage parents in their parenting roles
  • Recognize and build on families' strengths
  • Recognize achievements of families
 
  • Offer encouragement
  • Help us to care for ourselves and find other supports
  • Offer positive messages that we are good parents/on the right track
Build trusting relationships
  • Build positive relationships with family members
  • Use a positive, friendly, non-judgmental approach
  • Respect families where they are at
  • Be culturally sensitive/responsive
  • Honour confidentiality
 
  • Provide a listening ear
  • Offer neutrality-someone to discuss difficulties and challenges with
  • Build a trusting relationship-know we can count on the home visitor
  • Create a relaxed environment that is educational and enjoyable
Make connections
  • Connect families with appropriate programs/agencies
  • Create supportive groups
 
  • Make referrals to other supports and offer information on community resources
Provide information
  • Offer meaningful, culturally relevant information and resources
  • Offer learning through role modeling
 
  • Offer information/knowledge about child development to strengthen our parenting skills
  • Respond to our questions and concerns
  • Provide opportunities for hands-on real learning experiences
  • Be aware of potential problems and pointing these out
  • Offer specific skills e.g. games and rhymes, how to read to children
  • Teach us to problem solve
Advocate
  • Advocate for and with families
  • Help families overcome barriers
 
  • Connect with other service providers/organizations

Resource: Exploring Best Practices in Home Visitation, Partners for Best Practice in Home Visitation, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada