Supporting families through a qualified home visiting workforce

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see how a small amount of support from someone they don’t know can help families grow stronger and become more resilient, but home visiting also leaves a positive impact on my own professionalism. Everyday I’m developing stronger communication skills, building relationships with families and community resources, and gaining leadership and advocacy skills.”

“I’m very passionate about what I do. I feel that everybody at some point in their life needs a hand up and I just really love the opportunity to be able to offer that to families.” Fields is an advocate for the Institute for the Advancement of Home Visiting Professional’s free online training and Career Compass. She is proud to have earned her National Family Support Certification.

“We were sitting on the floor. The baby stood in the middle of the room, holding her mom’s hand, and then she let go. She took her very first steps, and we were both so excited. Or when they say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ for the first time in front of you. Or when their face lights up because they recognize you. Those little moments—they stay with you.” For her, her work is more than a job — it’s a calling.

“I knew I wanted to work with families, but I wanted to be able to support them and give them more guidance than CPS has the opportunity to do. I think the biggest challenge we face is getting our families to understand that we are separate from CPS. We emphasize that we’re here to help them—not to judge them or affect their case.” For Nazzareno, seeing growth makes it all worthwhile.

“One of the biggest things is it’s more than just a visit. We are partnering with parents. Home visitors do a lot more than what’s on our agenda—more than what we’re supposed to do. We go above and beyond and this is a really neat job that needs more exposure. Because we really do have an impact on families.” Flores is known for creating creative and engaging games for her home visiting clients.