Strategy

Early Head Start-Home Visiting (EHS-HV) Part of the Evidence Based Home Visiting Strategy

What is it?

Early Head Start programs provide family-centered services for low-income families of infants and toddlers. Early Head Start-Home Visiting (EHS-HV) offers individualized play-based educational home visits to support parents in caring for their children. EHS-HV utilizes the Parents as Teachers Education curriculum and provides developmental screening, health and wellness services, family and community engagement activities, services to children with special needs, playgroups for children, and support for children’s transitions to Head Start preschool. EHS staff work closely with parents to help them create learning opportunities and routines that support their child’s development. 

What is the evidence base?

Families who participate in EHS-HV provide more stimulating and nurturing home environments for their children and have better parent-teacher relationships. Children show stronger vocabulary development, cognitive, and social-emotional development. 

• Peterson et al_Family Participation and Involvement in Early Head Start Home Visiting Services: Relations with Longitudinal Outcomes
• Early Head Start_2006_Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project