Statement on Governor’s 2022-23 State Budget Proposal
Childhood Begins at Home is pleased with the $15 million increase for home visiting in the Department of Human Services Budget to serve an additional 3,800 pregnant women, children, and families. Voluntary evidence-based home visiting, funded in part through the Community-Based Family Center line, is backed by decades of research. The programs have been a lifeline for families in every legislative district during the pandemic.
The six state-funded models that deliver evidence-based home visiting are currently competitively applying for contracts as part of Pennsylvania’s Family Support Programs, which is a crucial part of the equation in serving more families. Following two years of level funding, the campaign is pleased to see Gov. Wolf’s proposed investment that restarts his commitment to increasing service levels beyond the 5% of Pennsylvania families currently served. We will also be encouraging the legislature to take additional steps by increasing Nurse-Family Partnership’s home visiting budget line to serve an additional 400 families across the commonwealth.
Forward Thinking: Diversifying Funding to Grow and Sustain Evidence-Based Home Visiting in Pennsylvania (2021)
Home Visiting Works!
What People Are Saying
”Home visitors going in present potentially one of the few positive role models for people in that kind of environment…and give them the tools that are necessary to make sure that a child is cared for and that they have resources moving forward.“
Drew Welsh, District Attorney, Clarion County
”Positive parenting approaches and nurturing a child’s development in the first several years of life is likely to have sustained benefits as a child moves through adolescence and adulthood. Research supports the use of evidence-based home visiting programs to positively influence the life course of parents and their children.
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Joan B. Thode, MD, General Pediatrics, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
”The Early Head Start program we offer helps to strengthen families by capitalizing on parents’ strengths to helping them understand child development and build their parenting skills.“
Pam Johnson, Executive Director, Jefferson-Clarion Head Start, Inc.
”Without evidence-based home visiting, I would not be where I am today. The Family Support Center did more than help me get back on my feet; they gave me hope. “
Father who benefited from home visiting services with Family Check-Up
”A mother’s physical, emotional and mental health prior to pregnancy and birth play a crucial role in determining the outcome of a pregnancy and that child’s subsequent development. For young mothers, evidence-based home visiting can help ensure they get the proper care they need. In home visits, nurses and other trained professionals engage with a pregnant woman or mother, as well as her partner and other family members, educating them on the importance of regular well-child visits and helping parents to understand the important role that they themselves play in their child’s development.“
Dr. Robert Cicco, Pittsburgh Neonatologist, Allegheny County Medical Society President and the former President of the PA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
”Parents are a child's forever teacher. And, to do well, you need to be well.“
Susan Evans, Early Head Start
”From identifying postpartum depression to helping deal with substance use disorders, these programs empower families to make proactive, positive choices that prove beneficial to healthy development. The good news is that evidence-based home visiting programs can positively impact the lives of these young families, building confidence and imparting them with the tools necessary to overcome many challenges so they can successfully raise their children.“
Julie Mansfield, MSN, RN, manager with Nurse-Family Partnership
What People Are Saying
”Home visitors going in present potentially one of the few positive role models for people in that kind of environment…and give them the tools that are necessary to make sure that a child is cared for and that they have resources moving forward.“
Drew Welsh, District Attorney, Clarion County
”Positive parenting approaches and nurturing a child’s development in the first several years of life is likely to have sustained benefits as a child moves through adolescence and adulthood. Research supports the use of evidence-based home visiting programs to positively influence the life course of parents and their children.
“
“
Joan B. Thode, MD, General Pediatrics, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
”The Early Head Start program we offer helps to strengthen families by capitalizing on parents’ strengths to helping them understand child development and build their parenting skills.“
Pam Johnson, Executive Director, Jefferson-Clarion Head Start, Inc.
”Without evidence-based home visiting, I would not be where I am today. The Family Support Center did more than help me get back on my feet; they gave me hope. “
Father who benefited from home visiting services with Family Check-Up
”A mother’s physical, emotional and mental health prior to pregnancy and birth play a crucial role in determining the outcome of a pregnancy and that child’s subsequent development. For young mothers, evidence-based home visiting can help ensure they get the proper care they need. In home visits, nurses and other trained professionals engage with a pregnant woman or mother, as well as her partner and other family members, educating them on the importance of regular well-child visits and helping parents to understand the important role that they themselves play in their child’s development.“
Dr. Robert Cicco, Pittsburgh Neonatologist, Allegheny County Medical Society President and the former President of the PA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
”Parents are a child's forever teacher. And, to do well, you need to be well.“
Susan Evans, Early Head Start
”From identifying postpartum depression to helping deal with substance use disorders, these programs empower families to make proactive, positive choices that prove beneficial to healthy development. The good news is that evidence-based home visiting programs can positively impact the lives of these young families, building confidence and imparting them with the tools necessary to overcome many challenges so they can successfully raise their children.“
Julie Mansfield, MSN, RN, manager with Nurse-Family Partnership
