First 5 Santa Barbara County Strengthens Home Visiting Services

Program Promotes Healthy Pregnancies, Increases Parenting Skills and Confidence, and Is Vital Pillar of Family Support

Morena Loomis assesses newborn | Santa Barbara County Health

As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, and First 5 Santa Barbara County is stepping in to support families every day, setting children on paths toward their brightest possible futures. First 5 prepares children for kindergarten through a variety of services that help families grow strong and resilient, in areas such as, health, education, nutrition, family planning, and more. They also work to widen the availability of high quality childcare and preschool and support home visiting workforces.

Cecilia Nava during a Healthy Families America home visit | Santa Barbara County Health

We sat down with two people ― Catelynn Kenner, MPH, and Evaluation Manager for First 5 SBC and Project Director for the Central Coast Home Visitation Project; and Kelley Barragan, RN, PHN, MS, and Director of Santa Barbara County Health, Maternal Child & Adolescent Health Program ― to learn about the noble work they do and their Home Visiting Week Celebration.

What do your organizations offer to Santa Barbara parents?

Catelynn Kenner: First 5 Santa Barbara County has been working over the last two years on a regional collaboration to strengthen the home visiting systems along the Central Coast. We work to support home visiting workforces and ensure that programs work seamlessly with one another and referring providers. We are conveners and catalysts in this work. While we do not currently provide or fund direct services, we spotlight and advocate for home visiting in our community to both professionals and families. As our “sister” department, Santa Barbara County Health has played an integral role in this partnership.

Kelley Barragan: County of Santa Barbara Health offers two different home visiting services. The MCAH Field Nursing team provides in-home short-term (typically 3-6 months) case management by public health nurses to pregnant and postpartum individuals, and youth ages 0-18 years old with the focus on those who are Medi-Cal eligible. Public Health nurses provide assessment, education, and linkage to services regarding family planning, pregnancy, postpartum period, child development, complex health issues, and safety. Healthy Families America(R) is an evidence-based home visiting program staffed by highly-trained paraprofessional staff who promote positive parenting and supportive environments that optimize child growth and development, and encourage resilient, healthy families. Families are followed from pregnancy or around the time of birth up until the focus child is 3 years old.

What are the costs associated with your services?

KB: All home visiting services are free of charge to enrollees!

Guadalupe Valencia, Elizabeth Rodriguez, and Maria Douvia reviewing curriculum for Health Families America home visits | Santa Barbara County Health

What are the unique benefits of your services?

KB: Our MCAH Field Nursing program is unique in that families are seen by public health nurses. A public health nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who advocates for positive changes in population health. The role of the public health nurse is to promote wellness and prevent disease. Public Health Nurses focus on helping underserved and at-risk individuals gain access to the care they need. Separately, our Health Families America(R) (HFA) program is an evidence-based approach that has flexibility in implementation based on the needs of the community served. HFA’s model is designed to work with overburdened families who are at risk for adverse childhood experiences, offering voluntary, intense services for up to 3 years. The program focuses on stress reduction, positive parent-child interaction, and stimulating child development are unique among home visiting programs. HFA’s approach is rooted in the belief that relationships are the foundation of child development and well-being.

Cecilia Nava prepares for a Healthy Families America home visit | Santa Barbara County Health

Who is behind your organization, and what is their background and experience?

CK: The beauty of this regional collaboration is the tapestry of partners at the table including: First 5 San Luis Obispo, CAPSLO, the San Luis Obispo Public Health Department, First 5 Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara County Health, First 5 Ventura County, Child Development Resources of Ventura County, and the Ventura County Public Health Department. For this grant collaboration, partners represent the two types of home visiting programs common to each county: programs utilizing the expertise of registered nurses in public health departments and of child development specialists in Early Head Start programs.

In Santa Barbara County, we will expand our home visiting work beyond the current grant scope and partnerships in the years to come. The home visitors behind these programs and services have a deep knowledge of local resources and services, acting as trusted partners and connectors — offering warm hand-offs, meaningful referrals, and ongoing support so families feel empowered, informed, and never alone. These dedicated individuals bring compassion, guidance, and strength to every visit — helping parents and caregivers feel supported, babies get the best start, and communities grow closer. Home visitors are more than professionals: they’re difference-makers, catalysts for change, ambassadors of hope and encouragement, and empowering guides who uplift every family they serve.

Why did First 5 SBC decide to start a Home Visiting Week celebration?

CK: First and foremost, it’s about the superheroes behind home visiting. We celebrate home visitors and acknowledge all this vital workforce does for families across our region while uplifting their voices as those at the heart of early childhood and family well-being. Secondly, we aim to spread awareness of home visiting services and their benefits while advocating for expanded support and sustainable funding. Earlier this year, we advocated for home visiting funding on Capitol Hill by visiting Rep. Salud Carbajal (a fierce advocate and ally in this work); this week, we are taking action closer to home.

Guadalupe Valencia and Ada Grace prepare for a joint HFA and MCAH Field Nursing home visit | Santa Barbara County Health
Morena Loomis assesses newborn | Santa Barbara County Health

While this is the first Home Visiting Week in our region, there have been others nationally and in L.A. County. What are some of the successes of having a week like this in other locations?

CK: Home Visiting is “having a moment” nationally, and we wanted to join the movement. Awareness weeks like these play a crucial role in raising understanding of local issues, solutions we currently have, solutions we still need, and the individuals who do the work to address them. Local specificity is important because needs vary, even regionally: what families need in Oxnard, Buellton, and Templeton differs significantly based on context and available support. We also want visibility (and joyful celebration!) of the workforce. It is no secret that healthcare workers across sectors and specializations have been facing burnout and morale challenges as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope to mitigate this while elevating home visitors to a whole new level of awareness and respect that they so deeply deserve. Home visitors are highly-skilled, trusted allies and sources of hope and strength for every family they serve. They deserve to be showered in gratitude for all they do for our community.

More information:

First 5 Santa Barbara County
5385 Hollister Avenue, Bldg. 10, Suite 110
Phone: (805) 568-4747
Websites: first5sbc.org / centralcoasthomevisitors.org / hvfamilyinfo.org
Contact: Brianna Dunn, brdunn@countyofsb.org

Santa Barbara County Health – Maternal Child & Adolescent Health (MCAH)
345 Camino del Remedio
Phone: (805) 681-5476
Website: countyofsb.org/1680/Maternal-Child-Adolescent-Health
Contact: Kelley Barragan, kbarragan@sbcphd.org