Too many acronyms to keep track of them all. I was invited to participate in a discussion about Home Visiting for a potential Op-Ed article. I have learned a lot about the undeniable value of early childhood education as well as the many obstacles to making it a reality for all Idaho Children. I had not heard of the Federal program with the cumbersome handle of Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. The program puts families first to strengthen communities and improve outcomes for kids and their family. MIECHV provides funds for developing and implementing evidence based and voluntary home visiting programs. The statistics are impressive- funded agencies show marked improvement in maternal and new born health, school readiness and school achievement, improvement in family economic self sufficiency as well as accelerated screening for development delays in young children. In Idaho there are multiple Agencies who meet the criteria for federal funding. Some agencies focus on Nurse-Family Partnerships, others Parents As Teachers in addition to one Early Head Start home based program.
There is no instruction manual for being a parent. Many of us learned the basics from growing up in a nurturing and supportive environment. For those parents who did not have the benefit of a stable or supportive family life they are not likely to know how it should look and their role. Home visiting is a service provided to expecting parents, caregivers, and young children. Parents or caregivers who understand how children learn and grow and the support they need to become healthy and successful in life are critical. These programs reach families where they live and can tailor services to individual needs. In 2016 the federal program supported 6554 home visits for 639 Idaho families. Hats off to Idaho Voices for Children for their advocacy for all of Idaho’s children. The home visiting program is up for reauthorization this summer in the U. S. Congress. I encourage you to join me in asking our Idaho delegation to support funding for MIECHV.
Gandhi said, “the future depends on what we do in the present.” Investing in the health and education of every child today will help assure a brighter tomorrow for Idaho.
Enjoy the week end. Mike