Implementation of coaching and peer learning collaboratives to support home visiting practices

Home visiting programs enhance parental capacities in fostering their children's development. Home visitors navigate the dual responsibilities of advancing program objectives and individual family needs, all while cultivating trusting relationships. Effective practice requires distinct competencies, which can be fostered through professional development activities. This study outlines an initiative designed to strengthen home visitors' self-awareness, reflective capacity, and practices. The initiative incorporated (1) training in a validated home visiting quality assessment tool; (2) equipment to record and observe oneself delivering home visits; (3) four one-on-one reflective, performance-based coaching sessions with individualized goal setting and feedback; and 4) four coach-facilitated peer learning sessions. Thirty home visitors in one state in the United States participated in the project. Home visitors implemented one of five home visiting models. The study used a one-group design. Home visitors were White (54%), Black (21%), Hispanic (18%), and multiracial (7%). Home visitor participants reported high levels satisfaction, citing strong collaborative relationships with their coaches and enhanced reflective practice skills. Analyses comparing participants' initial and final recorded visits indicated a marginally significant strengthening of the Relationship Building with Families scale. Findings contribute to the growing body of literature examining reflective, performance-based coaching in home visiting.