Elements of Quality in Home Visiting Programs: Three Jamaican Models
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Program Description
Roving Caregivers Program
3D Community-Based Rehabilitation Program
Malnourished Children’s Program
Research Orientation Leading to Action Developmental assessments Research to validate identifi- Longitudinal studies Tracer studies of children cation and assessment Research to determine Evaluation of impact of tool reasons for readmistraining on rover’s Research on community sions knowledge attitudes Mix of interventions for greatest effect Proactive Measures to Ensure Sustainability and Institutionalization Advocacy by advisory board Consultations with stakeholders
Pilot project in one parish to train government workers to deliver program
Figure 1 (continued). Overview of Three Home Visiting Programs in Jamaica
The greatest overall challenge for the home visiting programs is to ensure full institutionalization. As part of its new policy on the integration of early childhood (day-care and preschool) services, the Jamaican government is grappling with whether and how it should take an early childhood home visiting program to scale. In light of the new policy, UNICEF is supporting an in-depth, strategic review of Jamaica’s national early childhood program. This assessment includes a study of the feasibility of taking the home visiting model(s) to scale. UNICEF will be examining financial projections, targets and strategies, and existing structures, as well as the possibility of expanding the role of community health aides, deployed by the Ministry of Health, to include child development and early stimulation activities with health and nutrition services currently delivered to families. To introduce a home visiting program on a national scale, regardless of the model or combination of models used, and to ensure that the economic returns on scarce resources are maximized, a wellstructured system for targeting children, families, and communities