| How Home Visitors Describe What They Do | How Families Describe Supportive Home Visitation Practice |
Provide encouragement- Encourage parents in their parenting roles
- Recognize and build on families' strengths
- Recognize achievements of families
| - Offer encouragement
- Help us to care for ourselves and find other supports
- Offer positive messages that we are good parents/on the right track
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Build trusting relationships- Build positive relationships with family members
- Use a positive, friendly, non-judgmental approach
- Respect families where they are at
- Be culturally sensitive/responsive
- Honour confidentiality
| - Provide a listening ear
- Offer neutrality-someone to discuss difficulties and challenges with
- Build a trusting relationship-know we can count on the home visitor
- Create a relaxed environment that is educational and enjoyable
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Make connections- Connect families with appropriate programs/agencies
- Create supportive groups
| - Make referrals to other supports and offer information on community resources
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Provide information- Offer meaningful, culturally relevant information and resources
- Offer learning through role modeling
| - Offer information/knowledge about child development to strengthen our parenting skills
- Respond to our questions and concerns
- Provide opportunities for hands-on real learning experiences
- Be aware of potential problems and pointing these out
- Offer specific skills e.g. games and rhymes, how to read to children
- Teach us to problem solve
|
Advocate- Advocate for and with families
- Help families overcome barriers
| - Connect with other service providers/organizations
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Resource: Exploring Best Practices in Home Visitation, Partners for Best Practice in Home Visitation, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
