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Home Visitation Practices

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AHVNA is always focused on promoting and supporting the elements, guiding beliefs and principles at the core of Home Visitation practice. The more successfully Home Visitors can apply these, the more effective their support of families will be.

Elements of Home Visitation Practice:
  • Personalized and flexible, relevant to families’ circumstances and culturally responsive and adaptable .
  • Built around long-term, ongoing relationships based on genuine partnership, caring and honesty.
  • Holistic in responding to the diverse aspects of people’s lives: their health, relationships, sense of belonging, economic factors, healthy child development, cultural aspects and legal considerations.
  • Reflective in nature.
  • Complementary to the work of other professionals and agencies.
Beliefs that Guide Home Visitation Practice:
  • Belief in the importance and value of families.
  • Belief that everybody has within them the ability to change and grow.
  • Belief that people know what they need and that, given the opportunity, information and skills, they have the ability to make good choices for themselves and their families.
  • Belief that information, education and skill building are important aspects of decision making.
  • Belief that a supportive practice is based on relationships of mutual respect, trust, confidentiality and non-judgmental interaction.
Principles of Home Visitation Practice:
  • Involves working with families in the natural environment of their homes and family lives, in real situations, where life happens.
  • Work is holistic, encompassing the whole family and diverse aspects of its members’ lives.
  • Recognizes and builds on the power of relationships.
  • Focuses on people’s strengths and their abilities to make good decisions that enhance their lives and the lives of family members.
  • Includes connecting families in supportive and meaningful ways with other resources in the community, including supportive groups.
  • Supportive parent-child interactions increase resilience for the parent, child and entire family

Resource: Exploring Best Practice in Home Visitation, A Project of Partners for Best Practice in Home Visitation, Edmonton, AB, Canada