Home Visitation Practice: Models, Documentation, and Evaluation

This article presents an evaluation of an in‐home support program for at‐risk mothers and their children. The program was multidisciplinary and was focused on development of parenting capacity and child‐development competencies. The authors examine issues and problems that resulted from the blending of two models of practice—stabilization/crisis intervention and early intervention/health promotion—and describe the outcome‐based evaluation that was used to assess initial and ongoing child development, parent–child interaction, family environment, and social support. When documentation and evaluation of practice and its effect on outcomes proved a considerable challenge, the authors developed a classification system to describe practice in three areas: situations addressed, interventions used, and referrals made. The article describes challenges surrounding program development, implementation, and evaluation.