Home Start Incorporated

Home Start's goals are centered on removing barriers that could prevent a family from thriving. Then every child in San Diego will have the chance to live in a safe, nurturing home and the cycle of poverty and child abuse will end.
Specific goals include ensuring that the clients we serve:
- Obtain and secure employment and “upward" employment
- Obtain and secure safe shelter for themselves and their children
- Are equipped to become safe, nurturing parents if they have an active case with Child Welfare Services
- Receive treatment and healing through mental health services
- Receive parenting education for their children's well being
- Establish and maintain access to health care
- Have ongoing access to nutritious food
- Get the tax refunds they need to help make basic ends meet

Home Start achieves our goals through the delivery of integrated, culturally appropriate, linguistically responsive, trauma-informed services structured to empower participants towards self-sufficiency. These services can eliminate poverty on an individual and community level. Our more than 80 program staff work tirelessly with our clients to achieve our goals through a variety of methods and settings.
- Case Managers in our Communities in Action program meet with clients in a one-on-one setting in our office to assist them with finding employment, building a resume, applying for positions, , emergency food and clothing, financial skills classes, and benefits application assistance.
- Home Visiting Staff in our First Five First Steps Program spend up to three years meeting regularly in the home of at-risk families with parents to complete evidence-based parenting-education training modules.
- Home Visiting Staff in our Community Services for Families also provide in-home visitation sessions with parents involved with Child Welfare Services to complete evidence-based parenting-education training modules.
- Staff in our Maternity Housing Program for homeless young mothers and their children work alongside each mother to come up with an Independent Transitional Living Plan, which includes goals for achieving long-term self-sufficiency. They also provide young mothers with a variety of wrap-around supportive services including assistance with securing employment, finding child care, school enrollment, professional certification enrollment, mental health counseling, budgeting, empowerment groups, and more.
- Our professional mental health counselors offer evidence-based therapeutic services to promote healing, personal growth, healthy interpersonal relationship and positive life transitions.

Working in San Diego since 1972, Home Start provides strengths-based, collaborative services to children and families living in poverty to ensure their safety and reduce child abuse and neglect. We have extensive experience, established community connections, and numerous collaborations in place. Home Start programs offer a community “safety net," utilizing evidence-based, participant-centered services offering support and healing during times of great challenge.

These programs include:
- Community Services for Families (CSF) promotes child safety, child well-being and stable living environments for children. Program includes home based parent education and case management services, linking families with community resources and a peer support program for parents involved with Child Welfare Services. We began operating this program in 2004.
- Communities in Action helps families move toward safety, empowerment and connection by providing tools and increasing options for self-determination, financial independence, and healthy choices. We offer families a hand up through support services designed to help move individuals and families towards self-sufficiency. Services are tailored to the client's specific needs and each client is treated as a partner in the creation of their individualized service plans.
- First 5 First Steps is a home-based parent education for pregnant women and their families that we have been operating since 2006. Our Family Support Workers provide services to teens, military families (including active duty and veterans) immigrants and low-income women. Using the Healthy Families America (HFA), and Parents as Teachers (PAT) models, intensive long-term services from pregnancy through the child's third birthday are offered.
- Our Maternity Housing Program (MHP), opened in 2009, provides homeless women ages 18-24 who are pregnant or parenting with housing and supportive services. This program provides them with the tools they need to become self-sufficient and develop healthy relationships with their children.
- Mental Health Programs consists of our HSI Counseling Center where our professional counselors offer therapeutic services to promote healing, personal growth, healthy interpersonal relationship and positive life transitions. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based best practice model where through an earpiece, specially trained therapists coach parents as they interact with their children. They learn relationship enhancing skills and parenting techniques for improving their child's behavior. Child Abuse Treatment Program (CHAT) provides therapy to youth 17 years of age and younger who have been victims of abuse. Crime Victims Counseling Service (VOC) provides adults, youth and families with long-term trauma treatment.

Overview of Home Start Services - Fiscal Year 18-19

Total number of clients served by Home Start across all programs 14,892

• 6,710 Individuals received services (including case management, emergency assistance, therapy, application assistance, tax preparation, parenting education)
• 8,182 Individuals received outreach and information through outreach activities

Benefits Enrollment (CalFresh)

• Approximately 2,200 individuals received outreach and education regarding CalFresh
• 981 individuals renewals and new enrollments were completed

Behavioral Health Programs

• 207 children received therapy
• 182 calls received to the Intake Line

Community Services fo Families (CSF)

• 447 families received in home parenting education and case management services
• 37 families received Parent Partner Services
• 74 families received services of a Family Support Clinician
• 26 families received Visit Coaching Services
• 75 parents completed parenting education classes
• 102 families received Victims Services Case Management
• 75 parents graduated from parent education completing a full education cycle

Communities in Action (Central)
• 827 received comprehensive assessment services
• 762 received stabilization supports
• 488 received referrals to supports
• 149 received basic needs assistance
• 111 received individual financial coaching
• 63 received matched savings services
• 109 received back tax assistance
• 108 attended Education and Cognitive Development workshops
• 84 attended Financial Skills workshops
• 24 attended Domestic Violence Prevention workshops

Earned Income Tax Credit Program
• 1,422 State and Federal returns prepared by Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites operated by Home Start
• $ $1,980,505 in Federal refunds received by clients
• $312,244 in State refunds received by clients

General Information and Referral

• Approximately 5800 calls received for information and referral services

First 5 First Steps

• 135 families received at risk home visitation services

Housing Programs
• 24 young women experiencing homelessness received permanent housing and supportive services.
• 38 children experiencing homelessness received permanent housing and supportive services.
• 23 young women experiencing homelessness received transitional housing and supportive services.
• 32 children experiencing homelessness received transitional housing and supportive services.
• 16 young women experiencing homelessness received rapid re-housing and supportive services
• 22 children experiencing homelessness received rapid re-housing and supportive services
• 9 young women were employed at Home Start’s Thrift Boutique
• 119 young women experiencing homelessness received transportation assistance, food assistance, emergency motel stays, and other assistance
• 121 domestic violence survivors received mobile advocacy and other assistance.