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The First 5 California (F5CA) Home Visiting Workforce Study collected data to help the state understand the landscape of California’s home visiting workforce, including characteristics of home visitors and supervisors, implementation supports for staff, and program needs for workforce recruitment, development, and retention. These data will be used to develop policy recommendations to support F5CA in this infrastructure development. This report presents findings from a survey of the California home visiting workforce, which received responses from more than 900 home visitors and supervisors across the state, representing 48 counties and 54 home visiting models. (author summary)
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The overarching goal of this study was to understand the context of home visitor secondary traumatic stress and burnout, and how this might affect intention to quit among home visitors, particularly focusing on potential risk factors and supportive strategies identified by the home visitors. All home visitors providing services in the state in which the research was conducted (N = 27) completed a structured interview and a quantitative survey at two time points, 6 months apart. Results indicated that more than two-thirds of the home visitors experienced either medium or high levels of secondary traumatic stress and burnout over the course of the study. Approximately one quarter of home visitors indicated thinking of leaving their present position. Qualitative data indicated that risk factors associated with burnout included those related to both direct and non-direct services. Risk factors associated with secondary traumatic stress included traumatic stress of families, inability to recognize one’s own experiences of secondary traumatic stress, and unhealthy work culture. In terms of protective factors, home visitors strongly emphasized the importance of having a supportive supervisor who they could trust and communicate with openly. (author abstract)
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This final report details the results of a MIECHV Innovation Grant awardeed to Washington and partner states in Region X (Alaska, Idaho and Oregon) to implement an innovative set of home visiting workforce supports and conduct an evaluation that would help improve these approaches.
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The MIECHV and IDHS State Home Visiting Program Staff Survey is conducted each year by the Center for Prevention Research and Development (CPRD) at the University of Illinois in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Early Childhood (IDHS-DEC). (author summary)
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The MIECHV and IDHS State Home Visiting Program Staff Survey is conducted each year by the Center for Prevention Research and Development (CPRD) at the University of Illinois in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Early Childhood (IDHS-DEC). The goals of the survey are to obtain feedback and better understand the needs of the Illinois MIECHV and IDHS State Home Visiting funded workforce. (author summary)
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The purpose of this landscape study is to fill a gap in knowledge on how many families receive home visiting, what program models are operating and where, how large is the home visiting workforce in the state, where are the largest areas of unmet need, and what are the facilitators and barriers to statewide implementation. With better information about the state of home visiting in North Carolina, policymakers and leaders are in a better position to make informed strategic decisions. (author summary)
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The National Resource Center for Family Based Services (NRC) created this profile of Iowa’s family support workforce under sponsorship of the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). The purpose was to gain a greater understanding of the family support workforce and its organizational contexts with the goal of strengthening the workforce and improving the quality of family support services. (author summary)
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The early childhood workforce encompasses a range of professionals across health care, early childhood education, mental health, child welfare, and early intervention. Despite the differences in daily responsibilities, these professionals experience similar systems-level challenges which impede their ability to professionally flourish and risk undermining the needs of families. In this article, we highlight four key challenges—compensation, burnout, safety, and retention—which have long impacted their sectors and have been further exacerbated by the pandemic. Opportunities for policymakers and program administrators to discuss these challenges are discussed. (author abstract)
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Early care and education workers are increasingly recognizing their role in helping children who have experienced trauma, including extended parental separations due to incarceration. These children may have emotional reactions and behaviors that are particularly challenging in group settings. Moreover, early care and education professionals themselves have often had challenging experiences in their own lives. As a result, there is a need for training and support to help the workforce recognize the secondary trauma and stress associated with caring for these young children. This article will explore howto establish systems and policies that support the early care and education workforce who are on the frontlines of helping children cope with trauma. (author abstract)
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This blog describes strategies that Florida has utilized to support local implementing agencies (LIAs) to improve their staff recruitment and retention in recognition that home visitors play an enormous role in family engagement with the program. (author summary)