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7.8.4 Programs May Have Less Impact
Finally, participants across all three programs stated that while the absence of
front-line staff members would leave some of the more vulnerable families in the
community without service from any organization, the less vulnerable families would
still be served by the home visiting program. Indeed, one study participant shared that,
prior to strengthening the program’s volunteer component and adding home visiting by
staff members, “I felt like it was kind of ... It was a nice ‘feel-good’ program for [sponsor
agency], but it wasn't really doing anything of real substance until we really moved it
forward.” Adding to the irony of this hypothetical scenario was the fact that these three
programs prided themselves on being able to serve virtually all families who were
interested in their services – a feature that was dependent on having staff members
who could do home visiting.
7.9 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS RELATING TO STRENGTHS
As outlined throughout the present chapter, the findings of this study suggest
that programs were strengthened in several key ways by having both paid and volunteer
visitors. Participants believed that they were better able to provide consistent and
responsive services, to remain true to their programs’ philosophy, and to meet the
needs of both a greater number and broader range of families, including those who
were vulnerable and face greater risks to child and family well-being. Additionally, there
may have been several cost benefits to having both volunteer and paid visitors.
The following sections, 7.10 to 7.15, outline the challenges faced by mixeddelivery
programs, as identified by study participants.
7.10 OVERVIEW OF FINDINGS RELATED TO CHALLENGES
All study participants were asked about challenges and drawbacks to having both
volunteer and paid visitors in the same program (for details, see Appendix H: Interview
Guide). Those participants who stated that they had not experienced any challenges
themselves were asked if they were aware of any challenges or drawbacks within the
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