Driving forces: Unpacking workforce satisfaction and retention among home visitors
Anne D Plagge1, Kere Hughes-Belding2
1Department of Family, Aging, and Counseling, University of Northern Iowa, Iowa, USA.
Infant Mental Health Journal
|October 17, 2025
Summary
Home visitor satisfaction and retention are influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. Key themes include the desire to help, family efforts, and family needs, impacting decisions to stay in the early childhood home visiting field.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Early childhood home visiting is crucial for supporting families facing challenges.
- Existing research on workforce satisfaction and retention in home visiting is limited.
- A deeper understanding of motivators is needed to improve workforce retention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore factors influencing home visitor job satisfaction.
- To identify key motivators for workforce retention in early childhood home visiting.
- To understand the lived experiences of home visitors.
Main Methods:
- Phenomenological approach to capture in-depth experiences.
- Drawing on social exchange theory.
- Data collected from current and former home visitors in a midwestern state.
Main Results:
- Job satisfaction is influenced by a mix of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.
- Three major themes emerged: desire to help, family efforts, and family needs.
- Intersections of these themes with caseload, relationships, and mindset impact retention.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the interplay of motivators is vital for supporting home visitors.
- Addressing caseload, workplace relationships, and mindset can improve well-being and retention.
- Strategies are needed to support home visitor job satisfaction and long-term commitment.
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