In partnership with public and private organizations, Start Early Washington supports comprehensive prenatal-to-five learning experiences for children and families statewide with a unique focus on home visiting services. We are thrilled to share what we have been up to:
Home Visiting Highlights
Fostering Relationships Virtually. Building on innovative strategies to maintain relationships in a virtual setting remains a key priority as we navigate home visiting service delivery throughout the ongoing pandemic. Gaby Rosario, Parents as Teachers state leader, shares innovative ways to engage with families virtually. Read more.
Advancing Racial Equity. ParentChild+ is one of the state’s home visiting models supported by Start Early Washington. Last quarter home visiting professionals gathered for a biannual professional development workshop centered in racial equity as part of an ongoing commitment to advance racial equity in this model. Here are a few recommendations they shared for home visiting professionals:
- Carefully choose literature and materials for home visits that portray multiple cultures and match family values. Home visiting professionals hold great power in selecting materials that allow families to celebrate who they are, including cultural norms, skin color, hair texture and so much more!
- Biases shape our worldview. Identify, unpack and address internal and external biases to ensure the highest-quality and most inclusive services to families.
- Support families in speaking their home language. Speaking to children in their home language is a powerful factor in building and retaining secure parent-child attachments.
Approaching Difficult Conversations. Many families are weighed down by stress and anxiety during this complex period of uncertainty. NEAR@Home’s lead facilitator, Quen Zorrah is an expert at approaching difficult conversations with parents, especially during times of trauma. Her blog powerfully highlights how home visitors can repair interactions with families utilizing strategies that lead to authentic and trusting relationships.
Looking for more on respectfully and effectively addressing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with families? Visit our Near@Home page for additional publications and resources from our experts.
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Visit us at Start Early Washington to learn more about our work.
You can also find us on Twitter @StartEarlyWa.
