Home Visiting

Home visiting is a free, individualized, voluntary service that connects expectant parents and families with children aged five and under with a trained professional who assesses family needs, educates and supports parents, and refers families to community resources that help families build a stable foundation for their children’s development. 

Under 3 DC works to support and strengthen home visiting in the District of Columbia through policy and budget advocacy to ensure that providers, the workforce, and families who can benefit from these services have the resources they need to thrive. 

Home Visiting in the District of Columbia

There are 17 home visiting programs in the District of Columbia, operated by 13 organizations that serve families in the district. Three government agencies, the Community Family Services Agency (CFSA),  DC Health, and the Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF), oversee funding or other administrative support for eight of these programs.  Find a DC Home Visiting program.

Home visitors work to build strong and trusting relationships with families. The strength of these  relationships is vital to enabling a family’s ability to overcome challenges often rooted in systems that perpetuate poverty, racism, and inequality. 

The positive impacts of home visiting results in reductions in government spending on foster care, food and income assistance, child abuse and neglect, and special education. 

An educator sits on the floor with a toddler in her lap, helping the child read a book. The child, holding a small toy, eagerly touches the pages while the educator guides them. They are in a colorful classroom with a red chair and a playful rug in the background, creating a nurturing learning environment.
Programs implement curriculum that focuses on improvement in one or more of the following areas:
  • Child social, emotional, and cognitive development
  • Child school readiness
  • Maternal or child health
  • Pregnancy outcomes
  • Timing of subsequent births
  • Child and family safety
  • Child and family safety
  • Parenting skills and practices
  • Parental education, employment, and other parental factors linked to child development

What Participants Are Saying

“It’s been very valuable as I am a first-time mother and I did not have any experience, had tons of questions and very few answers. My home visitor is capable, experienced, and trained to support pregnant people. I can confidently rely on my home visitor and ask any questions that arise.Thanks to this program I began learning step by step how to care for myself and my child during and after my pregnancy.”
Nancy
Home Visiting Participant
“I feel that this program and people like [my home visitor] are invaluable to me and other parents who may be going through similar situations. Everything has definitely changed. I see things as a father’s role and he taught me to have the patience needed when dealing with my daughter and also with myself. The program and my home visitor have helped me a lot both emotionally and financially.”
Brandon
Home Visiting Participant
“It has been a lot easier to have home visits than having to go to an office for things I need help with- as far as resources and supplies, they’re coming to my doorstep instead of me having to figure it out alone. There are a lot of moms and parents in general, especially low income parents, who need programs like this to help them get resources because not everyone has the direction for help.”
Jocelyn
Home Visiting Participant
“My favorite part [of having a home visitor] has been truly being heard by my home visitor and having a person to have a conversation with over my concerns. I have seen changes in myself because I am able to talk about certain things and I have somebody to talk with about topics like breastfeeding, how to put up the bassinet, and resources about my birth certificate and my ID.”
Alyssa
Home Visiting Participant

Find a DC Home Visiting Program

Thirteen organizations in the District of Columbia operate 17 home visiting programs that offer a variety of approaches for families to find a support system to meet their specific needs and goals.

Find a DC Home Visiting program
An educator wearing a pink patterned scrub top helps toddlers with a hands-on activity at a classroom table. The toddlers are engaged, holding small wooden sticks and interacting with trays in front of them, while the educator smiles and offers guidance. The classroom is filled with colorful bins and educational materials in the background, creating a lively and nurturing environment.

Publications

Our collection features a diverse range of publications that highlight essential research, policies, and advocacy efforts influencing outcomes for young children, families, early childhood educators and program directors, as well as home visitors.