Home-Based Early Childhood Services

Home-based models of early childhood services have been utilized as a major type of service delivery for infants and toddlers who are developmentally disabled or at risk for developmental disabilities. Critical to the effectiveness of home-based services is a positive family-professional relationship. Successful family-professional partnerships are characterized by mutual respect, trust, and open communication. Home visitors' effectiveness in establishing such relationships is influenced by their sensitivity to the cultural background of the families with whom they interact. This article discusses the family systems framework and its implications for understanding families from diverse cultures. Further, it presents guidelines to assist the home visitor in becoming more sensitive to the effect of culture on family values, beliefs, and practices; it also describes the phases of a home visit and the ways in which each phase may be tailored to be more culturally appropriate.