When it comes to services and supports for families with young children, there is often either a dearth or duplication. Instead of looking a the whole child, we look at their education and care needs versus their health and social-emotional needs. Two services that could, should, and sometimes do overlap are maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting and child care. Fostering coordination and collaboration between these two services would support and strengthen both families with young children and the workforce that serves them.

Needed Now More than Ever, Support for All Families with Newborns:

A Coordinated System of Home Visitation in the Era of Coronavirus

Voluntary home visiting programs provide support, education, and referrals to families of young children in their homes. Research shows that home visiting decreases child abuse and neglect, increases school readiness, and improves health outcomes. In Spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way New Yorkers live day-to-day. Home visiting became more important than ever, especially to families in the highest risk communities and to essential workers raising young children. The experiences of families of young children during the pandemic make the adoption of universal prenatal home visiting in New York more critical than ever.