Infant Home Visiting

Our Infant Home Visiting program serves young children from prenatal to age four and their parents who may be struggling with the natural difficulties of becoming new parents. Rather than assuming a parent is in any way incapable, we believe that all parents want the best for their children, are responsible for helping their children grow and succeed, and can benefit from support and encouragement.

What is the Infant Home Visiting program?

No one is ever a perfect parent, so we’re here to help you on this naturally difficult path. Our trained home visitors provide long-term, clinically supervised intensive home visits that focus on strengths and relationship-building to encourage and support the new family in its own, unique growth. The bond between the child and the parent is our client -- not the child or parent(s) themselves.

Infant Home Visiting is split into two programs: Healthy Families, and Family Spirit, which is culturally specific to American Indian families. Healthy Families includes culturally specific support for East African families as well. Both are strengths-based case management programs that acknowledge that parents love their children and have their best interests at heart, but sometimes need evidence-based support and outside encouragement to be the best parent possible and create the best bond with your child.

How does it work?

To ease and improve development as a parent, we provide emotional support during pregnancy and early years of parenting, ideas for how to care for and play with your baby, information to let parents know how your baby is growing and developing, and connections to community resources.

Through therapeutically grounded, curriculum-enhanced methods, our home visitors assist and support the parent(s) in their role as their child’s first and primary educator, ensure that the child is developmentally on track, and promote a healthy parent-child relationship.

What are the goals of the program?

Our home visitors aim for the children to arrive at preschool and kindergarten ready to learn, for maternal behaviors to promote healthy babies and children, and for parenting to promote optimal growth and development for the children.

When can I enroll?

Families can enroll in either program prenatally or up until their child is three months of age.

How long does it last?

The program goes until the child is four years old.

Is your program a member of the Metro Alliance for Healthy Families?

Yes. Additionally, both Healthy Families and Family Spirit are supported in part by The Greater Twin Cities United Way, The Mortenson Family Foundation, and the Minnesota Department of Human Services.