April 2026: Home Visiting Month

WHEREAS, Michigan has built and strengthened a coordinated home visiting system to support families as illustrated in the annual Michigan Home Visiting report. Home visiting is essential and by partnering with families, provides opportunity for early detection to prevent or minimize developmental delays. Evidence-based home visiting reduces incidences of child abuse and neglect, improves birth outcomes, improves family self-sufficiency, improves family and child health, and improves school readiness; and,

WHEREAS, home visiting programs produce significant long-term benefits, including reduced public system costs and improved outcomes for families served; and,

WHEREAS, state and local partnerships including but not limited to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, Center for Quality Family Support, Michigan Public Health Institute, Head Start, Intermediate School Districts, Local Health Departments, and other public and private organizations collaborate to assess, grow and improve home visiting services, supporting families from prenatal through school entry; and,

WHEREAS, a continuous quality improvement process is in place to identify and respond to the needs of families who have engaged with Child Protective Services or have experienced substance use. Expanded home visiting programs have been funded and supported to meet the specific needs of these families, aligning with Michigan’s effort to promote Healthy Moms and Healthy Babies; and,

WHEREAS, communities across Michigan have also engaged in improvement efforts through a state-wide network of Great Start Collaboratives, Parent Coalitions, Home Visiting Local Leadership Groups, and Regional Perinatal Quality Collaboratives, to achieve the four primary outcomes identified by the Michigan Department of Education:

•         Children born healthy, and,
•         Children healthy, thriving, and developmentally on track from birth to third grade, and,
•         Children developmentally ready to succeed in school at the time of school entry, and
•         Children prepared to succeed in fourth grade and beyond by reading proficiently by the end of the third grade; and,

WHEREAS,  Michigan is committed to making families aware that high-quality evidence-based Home Visiting programs are available from prenatal to kindergarten entry;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim April 2026 as Home Visiting Month in Michigan.