Revitalizing the Role of Home Visiting by School Social Workers

Home visiting has a long tradition in the social work profession. Recent service delivery reforms have turned to home-based services again to provide more comprehensive and responsive services to children and families. This article applies current methods and procedures for home-based service delivery drawn from family-centered practice to the elementary school setting. The author proposes that home visits can help schools increase parent involvement, improve communication and coordination between home and school, and reach a student body from diverse family backgrounds. Practice issues specific to home visiting are described, and confidentiality, staffing, and safety concerns are presented as special areas for discussion.