Young children thrive in a stable, long-term relationship with the same provider in the comfort of a home environment. Since 2000, the Nurturing Home Initiative has worked with over 1,100 in-home childcare providers to provide quality learning environments for over 5,525 Mississippi children.
Family childcare offers many unique advantages:
- children can remain with one caregiver for many years,
- siblings can stay together and support each other in multi-age settings,
- children benefit when there are fewer children per adult, and
- community-based businesses reflect local cultures and diversity.
NHI understands the special needs of in-home childcare providers. By meeting with providers in their homes, NHI field technicians benefit both the children and adults involved in family childcare. By reviewing lesson materials, discussing challenges and concerns, and modeling age-appropriate activities to demonstrate positive interactions, appropriate guidance techniques, and how to use the educational materials, NHI field technicians provide one-on-one, hands-on mentoring. Each field technical assistant visits three sites per day, on average, for 6 months. Through NHI, field technical assistants enroll providers year-round.