IDHS DEC Home Visiting
The IDHS Division of Early Childhood (DEC) Home Visiting Programs support pregnant people and parents with young children ages 0-5 with family support and coaching through planned, regular visits with a trained professional based on a family's needs and schedules.
These are voluntary programs provided at no cost to the family, in which providers and community partners work with parents on practical parenting skills and coach/encourage bonding before birth and as children grow. In addition, home visiting helps families connect with other community services.
Home Visiting programs prioritize the enrollment of families prenatally or with children up to 5 years old who live in communities in priority populations identified by the federal Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program (MIECHV) including -
- low-income families;
- pregnant women under age 21;
- families with a history of child abuse or neglect;
- families with a history of substance use or with members who need substance use treatment;
- families with users of tobacco in the home;
- families with children who have low student achievement;
- families with children who have developmental delays or disabilities;
- families with individuals who are serving or have served in the Armed Forces, including those with multiple deployments;
- As well as the priority populations identified by the Illinois Early Learning Council
Parents seeking coaching and support should visit illinoiscaresforkids.org and select Home Visiting under your child's age category for more information.
Illinois Cares for Kids
If you're a provider or prospective provider looking for information related to the state's Home Visiting programs visit igrowillinois.org.
iGrow Illinois
Associated Programs
The IDHS DEC Bureau of Home Visiting also supports the following programs related to Home Visiting, including -
Maternal Child Home Visiting Program (MCHV) provides support services to new and expectant parents, through home visitation, parent support groups, and community education to assist them to: improve the parent-child relationship; promote healthy growth and development for the child; and improve maternal and child health. The MCHV program supports a network of home visiting programs that carry out the above services, and tests home visiting innovations that are designed to engage priority populations.
Parent Care and Share is a program aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect through a statewide network of semi-self-help support groups for parents and caregivers of children.
Responsible Parenting is a program designed to provide a comprehensive array of services to assist pregnant and parenting adolescents in avoiding subsequent pregnancy, engaging in family planning, supporting the pursuit of education, and developing the life skills that will support them through social and emotional issues inherent to adolescent pregnancy and parenting; and to encourage the healthy physical and intellectual growth and development of their child.
For more information about any of the above programs, please contact DHS.HomeVisiting@illinois.gov.
For information related to the Early Learning Council's Health and Home Visiting Committee visit Health & Home Visiting Committee (Illinois.gov).
For the Illinois Home Visiting Program Manual visit IDHS: FY 2025 Home Visiting Program Manual.
IDHS Home Visiting Grant opportunities can be found here - IDHS: Early Childhood Grants - FY 2025.
Questions? Reach out to the IDHS Division of Early Childhood Customer Service and Inquiries Department at
DHS.DEC.Info@illinois.gov
.
