The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that home visiting programs are very good at reducing child abuse and neglect, especially with high-risk families. Home visiting offers family support and education through planned, regular visits with a home visitor based on a family’s needs and schedules. Home visiting is a voluntary program, and home visitors work with parents on parenting skills as well as family bonding before birth and as children grow up.

Illinois has a very strong and supportive statewide home visiting system that uses evidence-based models that focus on improving the lives of expectant and new families in Illinois. These programs provide important services to families who are at risk for poor health, educational, economic, and social outcomes.

In Illinois, home visiting is supported, in part by the following state and federal funding streams: 

• HRSA Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program – Federal

• Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Early Childhood Home Visiting – General Revenue Funds

• Illinois State Board of Education Prevention Initiative – Early Childhood Block Grant, General Revenue Funds

• Illinois Head Start Association – Federal to Local Funding

Illinois utilizes an array of home visiting models throughout the state, including:

• Healthy Families Illinois (Healthy Families America)

• Maternal, Infant, & Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV)

• Maternal Child Home Visiting (IDHS-DEC HV)

• Parents As Teachers

• Early Head Start

• Baby Talk

• And others (there are many programs across Illinois that include a component of home visiting to support the families they serve)