LOS ANGELES, CA – The LA County Board of Supervisors today approved a motion authored by Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, First District, proclaiming April 8, 2022, as LA County “Home Visiting Day.”
In September 1997, the LA County Department of Public Health (Public Health) initiated a pilot Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program in collaboration with the California Hospital Medical Center. In 2009, First 5 LA launched the Welcome Baby Program to provide light-touch home visits. In 2014, First 5 LA began funding two more evidence-based home visiting models, Healthy Families America (HFA) and Parents As Teachers (PAT). Today over seven home visiting models, including NFP, HFA, PAT, Welcome Baby, Early Head Start, MAMA’s Neighborhood, Partnerships for Families, and home-grown models, serve families in Los Angeles County.
“The purpose of this proclamation is to bring awareness to the benefits associated with home visiting such as reduced family stress, improved family mental health, strengthened parent-infant attachment, improved child development, reduced child abuse, and connections to community resources that help parents have healthy births and give their children the best start,” said Supervisor Solis. “Through this action, the Board of Supervisors recognizes the evidence demonstrating the positive effects home visiting has on parents and young children.”
Since 2012, the LA County Perinatal and Early Childhood Home Visitation Consortium came together to advocate for free, high-quality home visiting services to support and strengthen expectant and parenting families. The goals of home visiting are optimal birth outcomes, elimination of birth outcome inequality, and healthy infant/child development, particularly in communities facing economic hardship and/or social marginalization.
“LA County has the single largest network of home visiting programs in the nation,” said Jana Wright, Director of Policy at LA Best Babies Network and Consortium Coordinator of the LA County Perinatal and Early Childhood Home Visitation Consortium. “We’re so proud of that and grateful for many home visiting providers across the county. Investing in home visiting more than pays for itself in terms of improved health outcomes, reduced child welfare involvement, and advances in health equity. It’s kind of the best-kept secret out there for family and child support, but we’re hoping Home Visiting Day changes that. Everyone needs to know how helpful it is, and how to find it!”
The motion approved today proclaims April 8, 2022, as Home Visiting Day in LA County. Additionally, the motion directs all County Departments, particularly the Departments of Public Health, Children & Family Services, Health Services, Mental Health, and Public Social Services, to use outreach materials developed by the LA County Perinatal and Early Childhood Home Visitation Consortium and the Department of Public Health to provide clients with home visiting information and assist with client referrals to home visiting programs.
The LA County Perinatal and Early Childhood Home Visitation Consortium encourage all expectant and parenting families to visit the e-directory to learn more about which home visiting service is best suited for them eDirectory.HomeVisitingLA.org.
To view the full motion, click here.
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