Let's strengthen all home visiting programs in the District

The father of a two-year-old and a five-year-old, Roberto receives regular visits from a Spanish-speaking home visitor. “I’ll be honest,” Roberto said. “Before I learned about the home visiting program, my life as a father was a little difficult. Fathers don’t receive an instruction manual to help them develop as good fathers.”

DC Action leads the District’s Home Visiting Council, which works to ensure that home visiting programs are accessible, effective, and funded. Member organizations operate the programs and train the home visitors to provide support to parents like Roberto.

“Sometimes you think that you know everything and you don’t need any support, but then you find yourself in circumstances where you’re tested about how much you know,” Roberto continued. “I understood I didn’t really have all the tools I needed to fulfill my role as a father. Then I connected with a home visitor from the Father-Child Attachment Program at Mary’s Center. I met him at a time when I was navigating a complicated situation with my son. He told me about this program for fathers. I had never heard of such a program, and I wasn’t sure about it, but because I needed support at that time, I decided to participate.”

Join me in giving at least $22 to DC Action to strengthen all home visiting programs in the District like the one that has helped me become a better father to my children.

Roberto’s story illustrates the importance of family strengthening services in the District, which connect expectant parents and families with infants and young children with trained professionals who provide guidance, resources, and support to caregivers.

As a result, families are more likely to engage in positive parenting practices and parents are better able to attend to their own mental and physical health needs. Children whose families work with home visitors are more likely to have regular health checkups and timely intervention to address developmental issues. Home visiting is a critical part of the landscape of family strengthening programs available in the District.

Give $22 for 2022 to help DC Action and the DC Home Visiting Council to build stronger family strengthening programs in the District.