How Home Visiting Helps Families Thrive in Hampton Roads

Strong families build strong communities. For many parents, especially those with young children, the early years can feel overwhelming. Questions about child development, parenting, and daily routines are common. Having the right support can make all the difference.

That is where home visiting programs come in.

During National Home Visiting Week, communities across the country recognize the impact of programs that connect trained professionals with families to provide guidance, encouragement, and practical support during the earliest years of a child’s life.

At The Up Center, Early Childhood Home Visiting programs help families build strong foundations so children can grow, learn, and thrive.

Learn more about National Home Visiting Week

Home visiting programs provide personalized support to parents and caregivers with young children. Trained professionals meet with families regularly to offer guidance on child development, parenting skills, and family well-being.

These visits may take place in a family’s home or another comfortable location in the community. The goal is simple. Meet families where they are and provide support that fits their needs.

Research shows that home visiting programs can improve parenting skills, strengthen parent child relationships, and help children reach healthy developmental milestones.

At The Up Center, Early Childhood Home Visiting includes two evidence based programs designed to support families with young children.

Healthy Families

The Healthy Families program supports parents from pregnancy through early childhood. Home visitors work with families to build positive parenting skills, strengthen parent child bonds, and create safe and nurturing home environments.

Families receive support with topics such as:

Child development
Positive parenting techniques
Healthy routines and safe sleep
Stress management and family well-being

The program focuses on building strong relationships between parents and their children during the earliest stages of life.

Parents as Teachers

The Parents as Teachers program helps families understand how children grow and learn. Through regular visits, parents receive information about their child’s development and practical activities that support learning through everyday experiences.

Parents also receive developmental screenings and connections to community resources when additional support may be helpful.

Learn more about Parents as Teachers national program.

The first years of life are critical for brain development and emotional growth. When families receive support early, children are more likely to succeed in school and build healthy relationships later in life.

Home visiting programs have been shown to improve family stability, support healthy child development, and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect.

These programs work because they focus on partnership. Parents are not judged or told what to do. Instead, they receive encouragement, information, and tools that help them feel confident in their role.

At The Up Center, Early Childhood Home Visiting is about more than information. It is about relationships.

Home visitors build trust with families and walk alongside them as they navigate the joys and challenges of parenting. From celebrating a child’s first steps to helping parents understand developmental milestones, these programs provide support during some of the most important moments in a child’s life.

By strengthening families early, we help create healthier communities across Hampton Roads.

National Home Visiting Week reminds us that strong families begin with support, connection, and trusted guidance.

When parents have access to the right resources and encouragement, children are more likely to grow up in safe, stable, and nurturing environments.

Through Early Childhood Home Visiting programs like Healthy Families and Parents as Teachers, The Up Center continues to support parents and caregivers as they build brighter futures for their children.