Next Door managerial and program staff believe in the effectiveness of working with parents of very young children in their own homes because:

1. Home visiting affords the home visitor an opportunity to view the child and parent in their natural environment, thus providing a better understanding of family needs. 
2. Visits in the home simply provide a more natural exchange between parent(s), child and the home visitor. 
3. A home-based approach allows services to be individually tailored to meet the respective family’s needs much more effectively than is possible in a group setting or in an office. 
4. Home visiting reaches families who might not otherwise participate in center-based services.
5. Home visiting fosters a special relationship between the home visitor and the family which provides significant added benefits.

Next Door has used home visits since it began providing early childhood services in the 1970’s.  This type of program services is an integral part of a broader intervention and family support/child development model that utilizes a wide range of resources within Next Door and also the larger community. 

Home visitors work with families to:  

• Strengthen the ability of parents to form a trusting bond with their very young children
• Assist parents in learning about how their own life stresses, past experiences with children, and experiences of being nurtured in their own childhood impact their interactions with their own young children
• Promote positive parenting techniques and the use of alternatives to physical punishment
• Establish a strong relationship with health care providers
• Achieve economic self-sufficiency
• Access needed resources including safe, decent, and affordable housing, food, and income support
• Identify quality, affordable child care