Parent Perspectives of Relationships with Home Visitors: A Structural Equation Model

Purpose The relationship between home visitors and parents is central to the effectiveness of early childhood home visiting programs, however limited research has examined predictors of parent perspectives regarding this relationship.Materials and Methods This study utilizes structural equation modeling to examine how home visiting practices and parental psychosocial risk factors predict parent perceptions of the working alliance through a secondary data analysis of the Baby FACES dataset. Data was drawn from a nationally representative dataset of Early Head Start (EHS) families and practitioners, N = 645.Results Findings suggest that strengths-based home visiting practices positively and directly influence parent perceptions of the working alliance, whereas parental depressive symptoms were indirectly associated with poorer alliance perceptions via increased parenting stress.Discussion These findings highlight the interconnected roles of home visitor practices and parental well-being in shaping the quality of parent – home visitor relationships. Implications for research and practice are discussed.Conclusion Examining parent perspectives of their relationship with home visitors provides insight into the need for both high-quality home visiting approaches and the mental well-being of parents.