Home Visitors' Perceptions of Structural Constraints, Family Resilience, and Adverse Childhood Experiences

Scholars and practitioners interested in children, families, and health have documented that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) predict a range of adult outcomes. While ACEs research and practice emphasize community- and social-level factors, we explore whether daily practice using the ACEs framework within the home visitation model directs attention away from those broader social factors. Through community-based research partnered with a local agency, we document that home visitors using the ACEs framework combine daily practice at the individual and household level with strong attention to the broader social context the literature emphasizes. But we also document room for further reflective practice to reinforce that broader context, and the role that research partnerships between higher education and local organizations can play in that practice.