Equity Initiatives in Home Visiting

Many home visitors adapt their services to reflect caregivers’ and children’s unique circumstances. By recognizing families’ different goals, strengths, needs, challenges, and access to resources, they take an important step toward health equity—acknowledging current inequities and the need to eliminate barriers.

The home visiting field benefits from learning about current equity efforts and considering the work that still needs to be done. For example, programs can further elevate the voice of families and communities. They can also examine the historical and structural factors—such as racism and discriminatory policies and practices—that affect everything from home visiting participants’ environments to their opportunities for education and employment.

This Innovation Roundup brief summarizes several equity initiatives in home visiting, including efforts to advance health and/or racial equity in the field:

• Home Visiting Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network 2.0 Health Equity Collaborative
• Michigan Home Visiting Initiative
• Massachusetts Racial Equity Movement

It also highlights the National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health (NLAPH) program. As accepted participants, the Advisory Committee of the National Home Visiting Network used the NLAPH program to advance its own racial equity learning journey.