Home visitation programs strengthen Idaho families

Idaho is a great state because our citizens work together to strengthen families. There are several nonprofit organizations in our state that strive to promote the vision of optimal early development, learning and health by engaging parents and caregivers through home visiting.

Home visiting helps families like Miriam’s, a young military wife who gave birth to her first child while her husband was away serving our country. Her newborn daughter had a rare condition that prevented her body from breaking down certain fats essential to healthy growth. Miriam was worried about caring for a medically fragile baby, especially while her husband was away. Determined to find support, she sought out help and was referred to a home visiting organization which connected her with a trained nurse and parent educator that visited her weekly at home.

I was first introduced to home visiting while serving as First Lady of Idaho over 20 years ago, and today, I continue to be a passionate advocate for it. I have seen the difference home visiting can make for families in a community and a state.

Families access home visiting voluntarily in their local communities. Trained home visitors tailor supports to meet individual family needs and provide referrals to community resources. Home visitors coach families in parenting skills, offer developmental and maternal depression screenings and connect families to specialists, such as the dietitian who helped Miriam learn the special feeding instructions to keep her baby alive. Parent educators encourage families to recognize their strengths as well as set and achieve goals. For Miriam, she completed a degree at the University of Idaho, an achievement that allowed her to support her family after her husband was injured in combat. For other families, connecting with a caring home visitor can be the key to breaking a generational cycle of poverty and abuse.

When Gov. Brad Little proposed a $1 million state investment in home visiting in his recent budget, I was encouraged by the potential to increase the reach and impact of a program that serves families in Idaho so well.

While the state receives some federal funding for home visiting, the dollars serve only one-third of Idaho’s counties and do not come close to meeting the needs of local communities. In fact, all of Idaho’s home visiting organizations have long waitlists because Idaho families want the opportunity to participate. With additional investment in home visiting, local programs can target dollars to better meet the needs of their communities.

Let’s work together to show the governor we support his proposed investment in home visiting. Share your approval for home visiting in Idaho by contacting your state legislator at 208-332-1000.