Home Visits and Challenging Situations

Early childhood educators and early intervention providers frequently conduct home visits to families. During these visits, visitors may identify potential concerns regarding health and safety. This toolkit provides insights into common issues that may arise during home visits and suggests appropriate actions that home visitors can take to address these concerns.

Home Visiting Across Programs

A variety of early childhood professionals provide home visits. These professionals include preschool teachers, childcare providers, Head Start educators, prevention initiative (PI) providers, and early intervention (EI) providers. Home visits are voluntary programs, where families with young children are visited at home, or in another community location. These visits support the family and help the child grow and learn. Learn more about home visiting by reading What is Home Visiting?

Each of these unique home visits may have different goals or purposes. These goals may include a combination of the following:

• parent coaching
• direct educational and developmental support of the child
• developmental screening, evaluation, and/or assessment of the child
• relationship-building with the family
• learning what a family needs to thrive and connecting them with community services and resources

Regardless of which program is taking the lead, home visiting provides an opportunity for families to receive supports and services where they naturally feel comfortable and where much of their young child’s care and daily routines occur. Home visitors have the opportunity to build close trusting relationships with families during home visits. 

 Home visits do not need to occur at a child’s home. Home visits may occur at a community-based location like a library, childcare center, or public park, depending on a family’s preference.

Concerns about the Child’s Health and Safety

Home visits can be both pleasant and challenging. Sometimes a home visitor may observe issues that require attention. These concerns could include noticing:

• the kitchen is low on food
• the child does not appear to be developing as expected for their age
• the home appears unkept
• the electricity or water is not working
• the child looks dirty or is wearing clothes that have not been cleaned in a while
• the absence of furniture, like a crib for the infant or couch for the family
• pests (rodents, bedbugs, or roaches) in the home

Visitors can document what they see during the visit and afterwards brainstorm ways in which community organizations might connect with the family to address some of the concerns. If the family could benefit from supportive services, like access to food, furniture, or counseling, food programs or local nonprofits may help. Parenting classes, respite care for families in crisis, and counseling services for adults may be available in local areas. Referrals may be needed to community agencies. IEL’s resource list on Community Resources for Illinois Families is a good place to start.

Emergency Concerns about a Child’s Safety

During a home visit, certain concerns may be heightened for a visitor. Visitors may visit a home and encounter the following:

• drugs are out in clear sight and accessible to a child
• weapons are out in clear sight and accessible to a child

Visitors should take these observations seriously. When they leave the visit, they should call the child abuse and neglect hotline (described later in this tool kit) and report what they saw. Visitors do not need to alert the family to their reporting. Visitors should keep all documentation of the home visit.

Read more about gun safety in the IEL resource list, Weapons, Safety, and Pretend Gunplay. For information about home safety and drugs, explore the IEL resource list, Household Safety: Poisons and Other Hazards.

Concerns about the Home Visitor’s Health and Safety

Home visitors can consider how to prevent many safety issues and keep themselves safe during a home visit by familiarizing themselves with best practices for home visitors on the page Home Visitor Safety.

Visitors may feel uncomfortable entering a family’s home when they notice certain things. If visitors feel uncomfortable, they can consider first whether this is an issue related to their differences with a family. Visitors who do not share cultural norms, race, celebrations, or foods with a certain family might feel confused or uneasy with home practices that are different than their own. In these cases, visitors should continue the home visit and document what they see objectively and without interpretation. Asking questions of the family when they are unsure of a practice or routine is helpful. 

There may be times when there is an issue with home upkeep or pests. Some home visitors plan ahead and choose to wear specific outfits and keep their hair pulled up during a visit, changing clothing when they return to their own home. It is a good idea to wash clothing in hot water and dry on high heat to avoid pests, if they are suspected in a home.  

If visitors feel unsafe and are worried about bodily harm during a visit, it is ok to ask to reschedule with a family. Personal safety and well-being are important. Visitors can talk to their supervisor about what made the visit feel unsafe. Debriefing a home visit with a co-worker or supervisor, sharing concerns with the appropriate staff person at an organization, relying on team members, and practicing self-care are all helpful practices for home visitors. 

Next Steps: Who Do Visitors Contact for Help?

If a visitor believes the child is in imminent danger, they are a mandated reporter and must make a call to the state hotline. More information about reporting and how to call is found on the Illinois Department of Children and Family Service (DCFS) Reporting Abuse and Neglect page. In the case of non- life threatening and non-emergency instances of abuse and neglect, visitors can make an online report through the Online Child Abuse Neglect Reporting page. After the call to the hotline, home visitors should talk to their supervisor about the situation, what they observed, and explain how they reported their safety concern. 

Reporters do not have the final authority to determine whether abuse or neglect has occurred. DCFS is responsible for making such determinations after investigating. Reporters can choose to remain anonymous. However, they are protected by the Good Samaritan clauses. If they report potential abuse or neglect with good intent and cause, and DCFS doesn’t find it, they can’t be held liable. In any case, good documentation is important. Visitors should always write down what they saw and heard during the home visit and share this documentation with their agency and supervisor. 

IEL Resources

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