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Home Visiting

Healthy Families America (HFA), our signature home visiting program, is one of the leading family support and evidence-based home visiting programs in the United States.

HFA promotes positive parenting and child well-being and prevents the abuse and neglect of children in communities around the world through family-focused and empathic support provided in the home.

Launched in 1992 with funding from Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Freddie Mac Foundation, HFA is founded on the ideals of excellence, trust, and transformation. Since its inception, the number of HFA program sites has grown from 25 to nearly 600, and today approximately 70,000 families are served annually in 38 states, the District of Columbia, five US territories, and Israel. HFA’s flexibility distinguishes it from other home visiting models; it can be used in a wide variety of communities, regardless of geography and demographics.

In 2011 HFA was recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as one of seven proven home visiting models, a distinction that came after a thorough review of research. To date 46 home visiting models have been reviewed, with 18 models meeting criteria for Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) funding. Furthermore, HFA is the only national home visiting model that requires its programs to successfully complete a comprehensive accreditation process that is linked to best practice standards.

Why HFA?

We help parents bring out the best in themselves by tapping into the skills they already possess.

Families who enroll in HFA receive the support they need based on their specific circumstances. We help parents develop and achieve goals related to what is most important to them, whether it’s school, work, housing, childcare, health, relationships, or other life skills.

HFA increases positive parenting practices and improves child and maternal health. HFA is built on decades of scientific research and leads to a number of improved health outcomes, including higher birth weight, fewer birth complications, and an increase in breastfeeding.

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HFA improves families’ economic self-sufficiency, strengthening our communities. HFA moms are more likely to continue their education, including teen moms who are about twice as likely to complete at least one year of college, which can lead to better job opportunities and economic stability.

Success Stories

Single mother Raecine was “very concerned” about her situation: she didn’t have a job and was still in school. The Kansas Children’s Service League, a Healthy Families America affiliate, was there to help, visiting Raecine at home, answering her questions, and helping her to adapt to her son’s developmental milestones. She learned to “work with [my son] where he needs to be, and to bond with him on that level, and that brings us closer together.” Learn more about Raecine’s home visiting experience.

According to Scot, Healthy Families America “brings experts into your home every week, and you can ask them anything. Their compassion is off the charts, and the developmental activities and information they bring is…essential. These are people that know what they’re doing, and they have your best interests at heart…Thanks to Healthy Families, they have brought us instruments and information to help us become better parents.” See how HFA helped Scot and his family.

When his son Jayden was on the way, Norland connected with the Children’s Trust program, part of the Healthy Families America affiliate network, which paired him with a trained professional to meet with them, one-on-one, every week, until Jayden was three. Norland had a vision for the future for his family and himself. Working with HFA, Norland got what he needed to ensure that his son Jayden would grow up in a safe and nurturing home. Learn more about Norland and Jayden’s story.

There is no better program, dollar-for-dollar, than Healthy Families America.

Home Visiting Resources

Impact on Children in the Healthy Families America program

What is Healthy Families America’s impact on children? Our research says its both significant and positive.

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Impact on Parents in the Healthy Families America program

Healthy Families America helps parents develop their personal resources to improve family functioning, strengthen the parent-child relationship, promote child well-being, and prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

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Impact on Communities via the Healthy Families America program

Learn how scaling-up Healthy Families America to serve the entire community offers measurable improvements on child and family well-being.

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