Exploring home visitors’ use and perceptions of developmental monitoring: A mixed methods study

• Published in: Early childhood research quarterly 2025, Vol.71, p.1-11
• Main Authors: Behrens, Sarah, Lawson, Lisa A. Mische, Bigelow, Kathryn, Dean, Evan, Zhang, Alice, Foster, Lauren H., Bridges, Mindy S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Developmental health; Developmental monitoring; Early identification; Families; Home visitors; Mixed methods
• ISSN: 0885-2006
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.11.011

·Inclusion of home visitors in developmental monitoring is valuable.·Supports for families to express developmental concerns is critical.·Developmental monitoring and screening together matter.·Relationships between community providers are important.·Technology supports enhance family involvement in developmental monitoring.·Cultural and linguistic diversity needs to be considered in screening tools. Developmental monitoring is an early identification practice essential to identifying a developmental disability in young children. Families play a critical role in developmental monitoring and report greater reliance on community-based programs than on their children's physician to support child development; however, little research has focused on the role of community-based home visitors. We sought to understand home visitors’ experiences with families of young children specific to the recommended developmental monitoring components. Using a mixed methods approach, we surveyed 72 home visitors and interviewed 7 home visitors through focus groups. Results showed that home visitors used the recommended developmental monitoring components with several significant relationships, as well as the overall combined facilitating factors and combined use of the developmental monitoring components. Home visitors experienced varying facilitating factors and barriers, including the use of child development screening tools, cultural and linguistic diversity, and others. These findings indicate that the inclusion of home visitors in developmental monitoring is valuable to early identification practices.