Resources

HomVEE systematically reviews the research on early childhood home visiting models that serve families with pregnant women and children from birth to kindergarten. The review determines which models have enough rigorous evidence to be considered evidence-based according to criteria defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This two-page fact sheet answers basic questions about HomVEE.

This brief summarizes the latest updates and describes the HomVEE review process and results. It lists the 27 models determined to meet criteria from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for an “evidence-based early childhood home visiting service delivery model.”

The revised HomVEE handbook (version 2.2) updates procedures related to reviewing virtual home visiting research, as well as updates to clarify HomVEE’s definition of subgroups, limit the eligibility of certain findings for review, and strengthen standards for validity.

A portion of the federal funds that support home visiting for pregnant women and families with young children are designated specifically for supporting home visiting in tribal communities. Therefore, policymakers and program administrators need to know what research has learned about home visiting in these communities. To assess the evidence of effectiveness of models that have been implemented in tribal communities, HomVEE conducted a targeted systematic review. The review included studies of early childhood home visiting models implemented in tribal communities. This report describes the review process and findings, descriptive information about the models evaluated, and summary conclusions about effectiveness. The appendices provide details about each model, including effectiveness if the model was evaluated in well-designed effectiveness studies. The review was originally released in February 2011; the updated version includes results from research published through September 2021.

The author reporting guide, which has been updated from the 2016 version, provides evaluators guidance about how to describe randomized controlled trials and matched comparison group design studies, and report their findings clearly so that systematic reviews can use their results. Reporting the information described in this guide is considered a best practice in general, and the information can help HomVEE reviewers assess the appropriate rating to assign to the study. The latest update clearly identifies the information that HomVEE seeks from evaluators, which will help the project assign prioritization points that determine which early childhood home visiting models are reviewed.