Understanding the Needs of California’s Home Visiting Workforce during COVID-19

In March 2020, home visiting services in California quickly shifted from an in-person format to an almost entirely virtual setting to meet new public health requirements put in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This impacted the more than 15,000 families^[1] across the state who receive home visiting services through programs administered by the California departments of Public Health (CDPH) and Social Services (CDSS), as well as individual First 5 county commissions.^[2] While some home visiting models had been exploring the addition of a virtual component to home visiting service delivery,^[3] the pandemic required nearly all home visitors in California—and across the country^[4]—to make this change at once.