Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/caring-for-the-little-ones-home-visits/5013894/
The first question is "why bother?" Home visits require time, energy, and the expenses of staff salaries and mileage. What can you gain from a home visit that you cannot get from face-to-face meetings with parents in your child care center or family child care home?Goal of the Visit
The main purpose of visiting a child's home is to help the child and the parent see you as a helpful, concerned friend, an extension of their family. You are building trust, ease, and familiarity. You are bonding with the family as a circle of caring adults around the child. Most of all, visiting a child in the home positions you as a friendly, caring professional - one who really cares about what the child is like and is eager to serve the family well.
Some programs also use the home visit to discuss topics that are normally covered in a more standard enrollment visit at the center, such as custody issues, who will pick the child up, other child care arrangements, any fears or special needs of the child, as well as the parent's hopes for the child and your goals for your classroom. Parents may be more relaxed in their home. It's ...