Given the central importance of positive parent and infant-early childhood mental health to children’s long-term mental health and development, it is important to examine a wide range of approaches that show promise for strengthening supports for parent and infant-early childhood mental health in home visiting programs, especially programs serving diverse families. This report provides a view of promising strategies from the perspective of staff in home visiting programs that span multiple types and models and serve families from different cultural, racial/ ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds. Following a brief discussion of the project’s methods for identifying and learning from a sample of home visiting programs, the report examines key strategies for promoting parent and child mental health as described by home visiting staff and expert respondents. The report concludes with recommendations for policy, program implementation supports, and research that could help advance the field’s understanding and use of the most effective strategies.
A webinar on October 31, 2023, presented findings from the report and included presentations on promising strategies from representatives of three home visiting initiatives featured in the report. A recording and slides are available.