JWB Recognizes Home Visitors’ Impact During National Home Visiting Week

Parenting can be hard. Growing up can be, too.

April is Home Visiting Month, highlighting how home visitors strengthen families—supporting parent and child health and helping prevent child abuse.

Home visiting professionals work alongside families to build confidence and self-sufficiency; utilizing a variety of research-based models, they strengthen parenting skills, share early childhood development and school-readiness best practices, help children build resilience and life skills, and connect families to support.

You might’ve noticed Home Visiting Month coincides with National Child Abuse Prevention Month. That’s intentional— underscoring home visiting as a proactive, non-judgmental way to prevent crises.

Next week (April 20–24) is National Home Visiting Week. We’re proud to highlight two JWB-funded programs serving Pinellas families and celebrate the impact home visitors make every day.

“Home visiting is a powerful tool to help make our families and communities stronger and more resilient,” said JWB Interim CEO Michael Mikurak. “Our local home visitors are incredible, and we’re proud to highlight their important work through National Home Visiting Week and beyond.”

Florida Department of Health Nurse-Family Partnership Program

The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) is an evidence-based home visiting program funded by JWB to promote the well-being of first-time, low-income mothers and their children. 

Pinellas Nurse Family Partnership serves mothers experiencing socioeconomic challenges and risk factors for poor key health outcomes; priority is given to first-time mothers. Home visits are used to educate, counsel, and guide the first-time mother: NFP nurses provide pregnancy and parenting education, breastfeeding support, referrals to community resources, and promote family enrichment beginning in pregnancy through the child’s second birthday. Goals for the program include improving pregnancy outcomes, child health and development, supporting early identification of developmental delays, and family economic self-sufficiency.

The program is available to residents of Pinellas County beginning in pregnancy prior to 28 weeks’ gestation through the child’s second birthday. Visits are made every two to four weeks.

Julie Goodrich, an RN with NFP, was recognized as one of JWB’s 2023-2024 KidsFirst Cooperman Bogue Award Winners (above). Following in her mother’s footsteps, Julie supports first-time moms through their pregnancies and until their children turn two. When her clients graduate from the program, they have direction in their lives and the tools to successfully raise healthy children and build strong families. What matters to Julie is connecting so that, long after she’s gone, her families are able to nurture and advocate for their children.

Truancy Intervention Prevention Services (TIPS)

Bethel Community Foundation’s mission centers on strengthening families emotionally, physically, and spiritually through services that yield both immediate and lasting benefits for the community. BCF’s philosophy stems from a prevention-based model, teaching families replacement behaviors that foster positive change both within the household and as individuals.

Their TIPS program serves youth ages 8-17 who face school-related challenges, including habitual truancy and other unmanageable behaviors. Through personalized case management and support services, including home visits, TIPS helps families navigate these challenges with dignity and respect.

Key TIPS offerings include:

• Life skills training to boost youth resilience
• Mental health, anger management, and substance abuse counseling
• Weekly youth mentoring
• Bi-weekly parent coaching/support
• A summer Youth Enrichment Summit (YES) focused on mental wellness and school readiness
• These intervention services have proven to be paramount in increasing graduation rates and civic engagement.

By equipping youth and families with tools to succeed, BCF’s TIPS program aims to reshape futures and restore promise across Pinellas County.

Family Center on Deafness (FCD)

Deafness can impact home life and personal relationships. FCD is a nonprofit providing services specifically for deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) residents of Pinellas County. They offer specialized services and staff trained in American Sign Language and experienced working with the D/HH population. FCD’s programs and services are geared toward empowering D/HH individuals and their parents/guardians/households; they work with the entire family.

Programming includes parent and infant activities (birth – 5); after-school, full-day, and summer camp programming for elementary, middle, and high school students; and enrichment and leadership programming. Additional after-school support for school-age youth is provided through individual tutoring, group tutoring, literacy activities, and sign language instruction. These programs are designed to positively impact youth participants’ self-esteem and strengthen their learning capabilities. 

Outside of FCD’s home visitation services, parents are also engaged not only through educational and recreational activities but also parent networking events.

While the center provides literacy classes, counseling, home visits, resources, and more for the whole family to fully support its clients, FCD is also an essential hub for connection and community building for D/HH Pinellas families and children.

Learn more about JWB’s work and partnerships around the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect every day.