An Overview of Home Visiting Referrals in Michigan
Michigan’s home-visiting programs aim to support families by promoting healthy pregnancies and providing caregivers with the tools, information, and resources needed to create a safe and nurturing environment for their child’s development. These programs offer various services, including parenting guidance and connections to local community resources.
The Michigan Home Visiting Initiative (MHVI) featured a 2020 Home Visiting Needs Assessment to evaluate communities with high-risk factors, assess the quality and capacity of existing home visiting services, and explore the availability of substance use treatment and counseling for pregnant individuals and caregivers of young children. This assessment was repeated in 2024 to inform further program development.
Key findings
The resounding sentiment from all the programs interviewed was that their main priorities are reaching families and enrolling them in home-visiting programs. Across the board, these programs expressed an excess capacity to serve more families. However, despite this, home-visiting programs face challenges in effectively engaging eligible families due to reach, recruitment, and engagement challenges.
Challenges and Opportunities for Improvement:
- Update and maintain consistent contact information for local agencies and resources across multiple referral platforms.
- Explore options to create a centralized referral source as a one-stop resource for all home-visiting models.
- Provide additional resources and support for agency operations and outreach.
- Create education tools for community partners to improve understanding of home visiting and encourage referrals.
