Texas Home Visitation Coalition

Background

History: The Texas Home Visitation Coalition was created in January of 2010 in order to pull together home visitation leaders from across the state and build consensus on how to increase access to proven home visiting programs. These programs have been shown to return as much as $5.70 for every $1.00 invested in local communities.

Purpose: The purpose of the Texas Home Visitation Coalition is to increase voluntary access to evidence-based home visiting programs in Texas.

Founding Members: The following home visitation programs served as founding members of the Coalition.

•                     AVANCE

•                     Nurse Family Partnership

•                     Parents As Teachers

•                     Texas HIPPY

•                     Healthy Family Initiatives

Coalition Activities: The Coalition engages in public awareness and advocacy efforts in order to educate policymakers, community leaders, and other decision-makers about the critical role that home visitation can play in preventing child abuse and neglect, as well as preparing children to be “school ready” upon entry into kindergarten. During the 82nd Legislative Session, Coalition members will work to protect current home visitation investments, as well as educate legislators about the importance of home visitation.

Resources

State-based Home Visiting: Strengthening Programs through State Leadership. A report from the National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University. (2009) For full text, please see: http://www.nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_862.pdf

The Pew Center on the States: Federal Health Care Reform Legislation Home Visiting Summary. Read it here: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/docs/PEWFederalHomeVisitingSummary.pdf

Raising Texas: Coalition of state leaders and advocates coordinating services for children birth to six, with a focus on access to insurance and medical care, social-emotional development & mental health, early care & education, and parent education & family support. Information at http://www.raisingtexas.com/

Texas Department of State Health Services: Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Needs Assessment Information website: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/mch/homevisiting.shtm

New Developments

As of October 2010, states are anticipating the Department of Health and Human Services’ release of guidelines for development and submission of state plans for use of $91 million in federal funds to support planning around statewide home visitation programs. Once those guidelines are released, advocates should be aware of the state’s plan in the following areas: the content of the state’s needs assessment; how the state is planning to use the $91 million for planning; and how the state plan will be developed. Please visit the Division of Family and Community Health Services website for updates regarding the needs assessment and planning process.

For more information about The Texas Home Visitation Coalition, please contact Kara Johnson at kjohnson@tecec.org or 512-476-7939.