Early Head Start (EHS) is a Federal initiative providing child development and parent support services to low-income pregnant women and families with children birth to 3 years old. EHS home-based services offer home visits and group socialization activities for parents and their children. The following resources offer information on the Early Head Start-Home Visiting program and its effectiveness.
Family Participation and Involvement in Early Head Start Home Visiting Services: Relations With Longitudinal Outcomes (PDF - 690 KB)
Peterson, Zhang, Roggman, Green, Cohen, Atwater, McKelvey, et al. (2013)
Pew Center on the States
Explores the influence of early home-visiting experiences, while children were infants and toddlers, on child and family status during children's preschool and elementary school years.
Home Visiting in Texas: Current and Future Directions (PDF - 2,386 KB)
Wilson, McClure, & Phillips (2013)
Discusses the importance of early intervention in child development and abuse prevention, negative outcomes of children in high-risk families, and the benefits of seven evidence-based home-visiting programs in Texas.
Innovating in Early Head Start: Can Reducing Toxic Stress Improve Outcomes for Young Children?
Gerwin (2013)
Harvard University, Center on the Developing Child
Examines Federal research efforts on the science of early childhood development and the use of home-visiting Early Head Start programs to build responsive caregiving and help alleviate the effects of toxic stress. The article highlights the activities of six research projects funded by the Administration for Children and Families that are testing different interventions.