Child Development Services 

During HomeVisits and

Socializations in the

Early Head Start 

Home-Based Programs Option 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

Administration for Children and Families 

Administration on Children, Youth and Families 

Head Start Bureau 

The purpose of this booklet (originally issued as an attachment to ACYFIM-HS-00-22) is to clarify how the Head Start Program Performance Stan

dards (45 CFR 1304) and the home-based program option requirements 

(45 CFR 1306.33) apply to Early Head Start Programs. The information is 

offered to support the intent of the existing regulations as they apply to infants, toddlers, and their families. Because the focus is on the planning and 

delivery of high quality services to infants and toddlers, it does not address 

every Head Start Program Performance Standard related to home-based 

services. 

In addition, this document provides Early Head Start programs with information and guidance for deliveries that support best practices for infant, 

toddler and family development. 

The areas discussed include: 

• The Selection of the Home-based Program Option 

• The Service Delivery Model of the Home-based Program Option 

• Child Development Services During Home Visits 

• Child Development Services During Socializations 

• Transition Planning from Prenatal Services to the Home-based 

Program Option 

Please contact your Regional Program Specialist if you have questions 

regarding implementing the Home-based Program Option in Early Head 

Start. 

Douglas Klafehn 

Acting Associate Commissioner 

Head Start Bureau 

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Visits and Socializations in the

Early Head Start Home-Based Program Option 

Selection of the Home-Based Program Option 

The needs of the children and families enrolled in the Early Head Start 

program, as identified in the Community Assessment, drive the selection 

of the program option(s). Regulation 45 CFR Part 1305 requires that 

each Early Head Start and Head Start grantee and delegate agency conduct a Community Assessment within its service area once every three 

years and update it annually. Programs choosing to operate the homebased program option are bound by the regulations contained in 45 CFR 

1306.33. The home-based program option is designed for families whose 

children and parents are primarily in their home environment. Early 

Head Start grantees should consider other program options for families 

with substantial child care needs. 

Service Delivery Model of the 

Home-Based Program Option 

The Head Start and Early Head Start home-based program option supports children and their families through home visits and group socialization experiences. Early Head Start home visits provide comprehensive 

services to support and strengthen the relationships between infants, toddlers and their parents. The strength and quality of these relationships are 

essential for optimal child development outcomes during this period of 

rapid social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Parents are 

encouraged and supported to later recreate and build on the activities that 

are introduced during the home visit. 

Group socializations are another opportunity to strengthen and support 

relationships by providing parents with opportunities to: obtain feedback 

from EHS staff and other parents or community-based professionals 

about their child’s interests, strengths, needs and resources; observe their 

children responding to other children and adults; and share and learn 

from others about the challenges and joys of parenting. 

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legal guardian) to support the parents in their roles as primary caregivers o

the child and to facilitate the child’s optimal development. The Family 

Partnership Agreement must include the specific roles of parents during 

group socializations and home visits [45 CFR 1304.40(a)(2)]. Home visits are conducted with the child’s parents or the child’s legal guardians [45 

CFR 1306.33(b)]. Furthermore, visits should be conducted in the child’s 

home except in extraordinary circumstances when a short-term alternative 

arrangement may be necessary, for example, if the safety of the child or 

parent is in jeopardy or the family becomes homeless [45 CFR 1304.40(i) 

(4)]. Socializations are also conducted with parents or the child’s legal 

guardian and may not be conducted with child care providers and other 

substitute caregivers [45 CFR 1306.33(c)]. 

Frequency and Duration of 

Home Visits and Socializations 

The frequency and duration of home visits and group socializations specified in the Head Start Program Performance Standards are required to 

deliver the intensity of intervention that is necessary for positive child 

development outcomes. The regulations require home visits of 90 minutes 

duration to occur on a weekly basis year-round. It is recognized that programs may schedule fewer than 52 home visits per year, due to situations 

such as staff vacations and program training activities. Similarly, home 

visits with families with newborns may be initiated with a reduced frequency and duration to respect the family’s need for rest and the adjustment to new routines. Following this transitional period, families should 

receive weekly home visits. Such flexible programming is necessary and 

appropriate to respond to the unique needs of families and in order to 

develop respectful relationships with them. 

In addition, programs are required to offer families two socializations per 

month, or for Early Head Start programs operating year-round, 24 socializations per year. The socializations are to be conducted on a regular basis, 

approximately every other week. However, programs may elect to offer 

more frequent group socializations for a period of time, and then not offer 

them for a few weeks, such as during severe weather periods. In another 

example, very young infants and their parents should not be expected to 

attend socializations. The length of each socialization experience should 

be based on the developmental level of the child, the content of the socialization experience, and other child and family needs. 

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home visits and 16 socialization experiences per year are based on a partyear Head Start preschool program. Because Early Head Start is a 12-

month program, the yearly number of home visits and socializations would 

increase accordingly. 

Home Visitor Caseload 

The Head Start Program Performance Standards specify an average 

caseload of 10 to 12 families per home visitor with a maximum of 12 families for any individual home visitor [45 CFR 1306.33(a)(5)]. Programs 

should determine caseload depending on the complexity and intensity of 

family needs, travel distances, and to ensure adequate planning time. The 

regulation requires the caseload to average at least 10 families. Within this 

average a program may wish to assign an individual home visitor a 

caseload of less than ten. This might occur when serving multiple children 

in one family, or when the quality of Early Head Start services could be 

compromised if the home visitor lacks sufficient time to adequately meet 

families’ needs. For example, home visitors may need to provide additional support to families experiencing multiple or sustained stressors, such 

as maternal depression, violence in the home, health complications, or 

other family crises. Home visitors working in rural communities where 

families live great distances from each other, or in communities where 

medical, dental, and social services are difficult to access, might need addi

tional time to fully meet each family’s needs. 

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The Content of the Home Visit: Curriculum Planning 

The child development and education approach for infants and toddlers 

[45 CFR 1304.21(b)(1)(i-iii)] is based on the development of secure relationships; an understanding of the child’s family and culture; the development of trust and security; and the opportunity to explore sensory and motor experiences with support from Early Head Start staff and family members. The Early Head Start curriculum is the vehicle through which child 

development and education is delivered. The curriculum, defined in 

45 CFR 1304.3(a)(5), is a program’s written plan that includes: 1) the 

goals for children’s development and learning; 2) the experiences through 

which they will achieve these goals; 3) what staff and parents do to help 

children achieve these goals; and 4) the materials needed to support the im

plementation of the curriculum. 

Parents play an integral role in the development of the program’s curriculum [45 CFR 1304.40(e)(1)]. At the program level, parents are offered op

portunities to participate in committees that develop or evaluate the program’s curriculum. At the individual level, their active participation involves sharing knowledge about their particular child’s interests, resources

and needs; choosing meaningful goals and experiences for their family; 

and determining if the curriculum is effectively meeting their child’s needs

The Policy Council plays an equally important role by ensuring that the 

program’s philosophy and long and short term goals and objectives are reflected in the curriculum [45 CFR 1304.50(d)(iii-iv)]. 

Curriculum Goals 

Goals for children’s development and learning are established in partnership with parents and based on the child’s ongoing developmental assessment. The Head Start Program Performance Standards in 45 CFR1304.21 

identify the developmental domains that curriculum goals should support, 

including social and emotional, language, cognitive, and motor skills. 

While these areas of development are often defined as distinct skills, it is 

important to understand that each area of development is connected to and 

affects every other. Thus, it is how these skills are integrated and work together that promotes important developmental outcomes for children, including the ability to form close, trusting relationships; curiosity and the 

motivation to learn; intentionality; problem solving; self-regulation; and 

the capacity to communicate. 

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ences are congruent with the familys culture; build on childrens interests 

and abilities; promote curiosity and positive views about themselves and 

about learning; and use responsive interactions as the primary vehicle for 

learning. 

Curriculum Experiences 

The greatest opportunity for learning during the infant and toddler period i

through daily experiences such as feeding, diapering or toileting, greetings 

or good-bye’s, bathing, dressing, and play. All these experiences are new 

to infants and it is through their sensory systems – seeing, hearing, feeling, 

tasting, touching – that they experience the world. In addition, these routines occur many times throughout the day, therefore each home visit presents numerous opportunities to support the parent’s ability to facilitate 

rich learning experiences in the home and enhance the pleasure that both 

the parent and child take in the relationship that they are building. For example, if the child is experimenting with making different sounds and the 

parents’ goal is to encourage language skills, the home visitor can help 

identify ways to promote reciprocal communication between the parent and 

child during everyday routines such as meal times, when bathing, or by 

sharing books. 

Each home visit should focus on the parent as the child’s most important 

relationship and first teacher, and through the parent, focus on the needs of 

the child. Child development experiences, which focus on the relationship 

and interaction between the parent and child, should occur during each 

home visit. There are times when a parent is so distracted by personal 

needs that it is difficult to establish the focus on the child. It is important a

these times to ensure that the parent gets the support he or she needs so tha

he or she can then be available to meet their child’s needs. A home visitor 

in this circumstance might guide the focus back to the child by first listening to the parent’s concerns, identifying resources, and then helping the 

parents understand how the family circumstances affect the child. The 

home visitor should ensure that the child development goals of the Early 

Head Start program are being addressed at the same time that the needs of 

the parents are supported. 

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Ongoing Assessment and Individualized Services

Home visitors and parents work collaboratively to develop meaningful curriculum experiences. Parents and home visitors exchange information 

based on observations of the child and the ongoing infant-toddler assessments conducted by the home visitor and other Early Head Start staff with 

the parents. Home visitors follow the parents’ lead in establishing goals 

for their infants or toddlers and support parents as they engage in sensitive 

and responsive interactions. Home visitors also provide education and 

guidance and empower parents to advocate on behalf of their young children. 

Parents provide specific information on their child’s routines, interests, 

skills, and the family’s practices, and cultural traditions. Parents also provide information on the range of pleasurable experiences or challenging 

interactions with their infants and toddlers. For example, a parent can describe how her baby or toddler falls asleep, calms when upset, and reacts to 

sights, sounds, new situations or people. 

Home visitors support parents’ understanding that everyday routines provide the context for learning and development. They emphasize how these 

experiences provide rich opportunities for infants and toddlers to practice 

newly learned and emerging skills in naturally occurring events within the 

family. Home visitors also help parents understand how their support and 

enjoyment of their infants’ and toddlers’ exploration and learning promote 

curiosity, initiative, self-esteem and continued exploration. 

Home visitors provide information on developmental stages and experiences that support the acquisition of skills such as self-regulation, problem 

solving and the capacity to use language for expression of feelings 

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individualize experiences for infants based on temperament, learning style, 

and interests. At each new developmental stage, home visitors can support 

parents through the new routines, relationships and lifestyle changes that a 

baby brings into a home, as well as understand and manage the impact on 

siblings. 

Based on assessment, and parents’ questions, concerns or priorities, home 

visitors can provide information on the ways that parents can enhance their 

infants’ ability to look, listen and self-soothe. For example, a home visitor 

might explain to a parent of an infant how self-soothing, an early selfregulatory skill, facilitates meaningful interaction with others and allows 

the infant to actively take in information about their world. Alternatively, 

for an older toddler, the home visitor might discuss the opportunity to build 

language skills during everyday routines and provide a variety of songs, 

rhymes and fingerplays for parents to use while dressing, bathing, or eating. 

Home visitors consult with disability specialists and early intervention providers to identify how infants’ and toddlers’ Individual and Family Service 

Plan (IFSP) objectives can be implemented within daily routines. Home 

visitors also receive guidance on the use of assistive technology, augmenta

tive communication, and adapted toys to promote infants’ active participation in family routines and play with peers. 

Materials 

Home visitors should have a repertoire of parent education materials that 

are reflective of the range of adult learning styles of parents, and take into 

account language, education, and cultural differences. Parent education 

resources should be utilized in an individualized manner with parents and 

build on parents’ competencies. Programs should possess a variety of different parenting education materials with different purposes: some provide 

parent-child activities to support developmental capacities while others are 

designed to enhance parent observations and interactions with their child. 

Home visitors should carefully select materials that best meet program 

goals and family priorities. Further, home visitors should be sensitive to 

cultural values and differences when choosing parenting education resources, play materials, and activities. It is critical to the development of 

the child that parents are supported as the child’s primary and first teacher. 

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Purpose of Socializations 

Early Head Start programs operating a Home Based Program Option provide two socializations per month (approximately 24 per year) for infants, 

toddlers and their parents. Socialization experiences for infant and toddler

are designed differently than socializations for preschoolers. The purpose 

of socialization experiences for infants and toddlers is to support child development by strengthening the parent-child relationship. The content of 

the group experience reflects this emphasis and incorporates the goals of 

the program and participating families such as: helping parents to better 

understand child development; encouraging parents to share their parenting 

challenges and joys with one another; providing activities for parents and 

children to enjoy together; offering structured and unstructured learning 

opportunities for both children and parents; and modeling successful strate

gies for engaging children and supporting their development. 

Linking Socialization Experiences to the Home Visits 

The socialization experiences support the goals established during the 

home visits. The Family Partnership Agreement must include the specific 

roles of parents in socializations and home visits [45 CFR 1304.40(a)(2)].

This provides a mechanism for connecting the home visits with the socialization experiences so that they build on family goals and are meaningful to 

the participants. 

For example, if several families are working on creating a safe home environment for infants learning to walk, a socialization experience might be 

organized around a discussion of safety precautions and the challenges of 

baby-proofing their home. Such a discussion might include specific strategies for eliminating hazards as well as exploring ways to create safe environments that promote parent-infant relationships and the infant’s physical

cognitive, social and emotional development. During the same socialization, the parents would learn how other parents are meeting the challenges 

of safely supporting infant exploration. The group might walk to a nearby 

playground to demonstrate and discuss outdoor safety as well. The home 

visitor would utilize group facilitation skills to create a trusting atmosphere; support successful strategies or model alternative strategies for redirecting children’s behavior; build on each child’s individual strengths; and 

emphasize ways to support the child’s emerging developmental skills while 

creating a safe environment to explore. 

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The federal regulations in 45 CFR 1304. 21(b) which define the child development and education approach for infants and toddlers are applicable 

to Early Head Start services delivered through the socialization component 

of the Home-Based Program Option. Thus, these group experiences are 

designed to facilitate the development of emotional security through trusting relationships with a limited number of consistent and familiar people. 

Socialization experiences provide home-based Early Head Start staff the 

unique opportunity to focus on the parent-child relationship and interaction 

in the context of the group setting. 

Socialization experiences for infants and toddlers support child development by focusing on relationships and are planned to support parents’ interaction with their children. All activities should be appropriate for the 

ages and developmental level of the children present, and take into consideration adult needs and learning styles. Programs should consider the different developmental needs of young infants, mobile infants, and toddlers 

when planning socialization experiences. For example, young infants may 

tire easily and only tolerate group experiences of a short duration, while 

toddlers might enjoy a longer or more active group experience. For this 

reason, Early Head Start grantees may consider forming socialization 

groups based on the developmental level of the children: young infants, 

mobile infants, and toddlers. Mixed age groups can be appropriate for 

families with multiple children under three years of age or other family circumstances. Both models support the parent-child relationship when the 

experiences are planned to meet the developmental needs of the children in 

Early Head Start. Programs might consider separate accommodations for 

older siblings of the children enrolled in Early Head Start so that the parent 

is fully available to focus on the infant or toddler during the socialization 

experience. 

Early Head Start staff should consider how the developmental functioning 

of infants affects their participation in the group experience. Socializations 

provide opportunities for infants to observe and interact with adults and 

with each other. From the beginning of life infants are aware of others and 

will participate in the give and take of socializations. The way infants interact with each other will evolve over time. Very young infants might indicate their joy at seeing a familiar face with a full body wriggle and a 

smile. A three-month-old infant might interact with other infants through 

eye contact, vocalization and observation. Six-month-olds can imitate the 

coos and squeals of their playmates. At nine months of age two infants 

might each press buttons on the same pop-up toy and laugh in delight over 

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firm a toy is mine and learn better how to take turns through the guidance of parents and the home visitor. 

To support the relationship-building focus of socializations, parents and 

infants are together during socialization experiences. If a socialization includes an activity that is parent-focused, such as a facilitated discussion, 

parents can participate with their infants nearby. As infants become more 

mobile and independent, there may be times when children and parents 

separate for short periods. 

One of the benefits of the socialization experiences is the parenting education that occurs in many forms: through informal conversations between 

staff and parents as they interact with their children; during facilitated discussions on a particular topic related to the socialization experience; and by 

observing other parents and staff interact with children. Formal or more 

structured parenting education where the focus is exclusively on the adult 

should occur during times other than socialization experiences since the 

socialization experience is designed for parent-child interaction. 

Similarly, socialization experiences may include outings or meals, but in 

the context of the socializations these should be small-group experiences 

and build on the goals of the socialization. Large-group family meals and 

activities should occur at times other than the socialization gathering. All 

socialization experiences are planned to address child development issues, 

parenting, and the parent-child relationship. 

Grantees ensure that they are able to provide appropriate snacks and meals 

to each child during group socialization activities [45 CFR 1304.23(b)(2)]

The type and nature of the meal or snack is determined by the content and 

context of the particular socialization, as well as the developmental level o

the child. Programs ensure that there is appropriate infant formula and 

baby foods available for infants. Socializations provide an excellent opportunity to address nutrition and healthful eating habits and promote child 

development through activities such as menu planning, discussion, and the 

preparing and sharing of snacks or meals. 

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The home visitor’s relationship with the family is the primary avenue 

through which Early Head Start services are delivered in the Home Based 

Program Option. Thus, home visitors play a central role in the socialization experiences. Home visitor caseloads should be set at a level that allows them the time necessary to fully participate in the planning and imple

mentation of socializations. 

Early Head Start staff with the responsibility for planning and implementing socialization experiences should have expertise in infant and toddler 

development as well as facilitating groups of parents and children together

Early Head Start grantees might consider a designated staff position, working collaboratively with home visitors, for planning and implementing socialization experiences. 

Group Size of Socializations 

Early Head Start grantees determine the number of participants in group 

socialization experiences to support the goal of facilitating child development by strengthening the parent-child relationship. To meet this goal, 

group sizes should be limited. Large groups of infants and adults do not 

provide the intimacy or intensity of interaction that facilitates trust, predict

ability, and responsive caregiving. Smaller groups allow children, families, and staff greater opportunities for individual attention and meaningful 

interaction. 

Environments for Socializations 

Early Head Start grantees select the setting for socialization experiences 

with attention to the features that support a high quality environment for 

infant and toddler exploration and interaction with family members. Early 

Head Start grantees should identify a designated space for socialization experiences. This space need not be used solely for socializations. A designated space provides the participants with a stable and predictable setting 

and takes into consideration appropriate health and safety requirements 

such as facilities for toileting and hand washing, refrigeration, and heat. 

Programs must also ensure that children with disabilities can fully participate by making any necessary adaptations to the setting and materials to 

allow for active engagement with others and full participation in activities. 

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example, adults should have comfortable places to sit that facilitate interac

tion with their children. Young infants need soft places to sit or lie down, 

and nursing mothers should have comfortable accommodations for breastfeeding. Mobile infants need safe places to crawl and surfaces to pull up 

on, while toddlers require adequate space to run and climb. 

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Home-Based Program Option 

The regulations governing the home-based program option in 45 CFR 

1306 refer to services for children and do not apply to services to pregnant 

women. Regulations governing services for pregnant women enrolled in 

the EHS program are found in 45 CFR 1304.40(c). However, EHS grantees may choose to provide services to pregnant women through home visits. In this case, the length and frequency of the home visits are based on 

the family’s needs and goals. Similarly, programs may wish to, but are not 

required to provide socialization experiences for pregnant women. 

Some Early Head Start grantees providing services to pregnant women wil

be transitioning the family into the Home-based Program Option following 

the birth of the baby. In this case, programs are urged to consider how the 

transition into the home-based program option can best meet family needs. 

For example, it may be preferable to have a gradual transition into the socialization experience, beginning before the birth of the baby. Pregnant 

women would have the opportunity to interact with other women at the 

same stage of pregnancy, learn from mothers who have recently delivered, 

and become familiar with the socialization environment and routines. 

Women with newborns may want to meet with smaller, less frequent 

groups, in a less structured environment, such as another woman’s home. 

Conclusion 

The home-based program option is designed for families whose children 

and parents are primarily in the home environment and offers comprehensive Early Head Start services through regular home visits and group socialization experiences. It is the relationship with the home visitor that 

forms the foundation for effective service delivery. Similarly, it is the rela

tionship between the parent and infant or toddler that provides the foundation from which very young children develop the social competence necessary for success later in school and in life. Comprehensive, high-quality 

home visitation services strengthen and support families so that they, in 

turn, can provide the best possible support for their child. 

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