New Directions Early Head Start
Home Visiting
New Directions Early Head Start (NDEHS) provides personalized Home Visiting services for pregnant participants and families with infants and toddlers. Our program partners with parents and caregivers to support children’s development, strengthen families, and create meaningful learning opportunities within everyday routines.
Through regular visits, Child and Family Specialists provide guidance, resources, and individualized support based on each family’s strengths, needs, and goals.
How Home Visiting Works
Weekly Home Visits
Families receive individualized, 90-minute visits each week designed to support their child’s learning, development, health, and well-being.
Parents as First Teachers
Parents and caregivers learn ways to support their child’s growth through play, daily routines, and activities using materials already available in the home.
Family Goal Setting
Child and Family Specialists work alongside families to identify strengths, establish meaningful goals, and connect with helpful community resources.
Socialization Opportunities
Home Visiting families are invited to participate in group experiences that support parent-child relationships and provide opportunities to learn, play, and connect with other families.
The Program Is Designed To
- Support children’s emotional, physical, social, and cognitive development.
- Help parents and caregivers meet their children’s and families’ needs.
- Recognize and support parents as their child’s first and most important teacher.
- Connect families with health, nutrition, education, and community resources.
- Support families in establishing and achieving individualized goals.
Who Is Eligible?
- Pregnant participants
- Children from birth to 36 months of age
- Children with diagnosed disabilities or developmental needs
- Families who meet Early Head Start income or categorical eligibility guidelines
Areas We Serve
New Castle County
NDEHS provides Home Visiting services to eligible families throughout New Castle County.
Kent County
Home Visiting services in Kent County are provided through the Delaware Early Childhood Center .
NDEHS is an inter-agency program offered in partnership with the Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood , the University of Delaware Department of Human Development and Family Sciences , and community provider agencies.
