View/Open - Dalhousie University

As well, eligible programs MAY (or may not):
1. Offer other services, in addition to home visiting.
2. Provide services to populations in addition to families with infants (for example, pre-natal
education, programs for families with older children, support for those providing elder care).
3. Use a term other than ‘home visiting’ to describe their in-home work with families.
The following program characteristics are flexible:
Eligible programs may serve families in a geographic area of any size or description.
Eligible programs may offer in-home services that last from several weeks to several months,
or longer.
Length of service may vary from one family to another, or last for a prescribed length of time
for all families.
Selection of agencies for the study:
If more than three agencies agree to take part in the study, the researcher and thesis supervisor(s) will
consider the following factors in determining which three programs will be selected to participate:
To what degree a program meets the eligibility criteria for the study
An agency’s capacity to participate (Will it be a strain on program resources? Does the
program have a minimal number of eligible staff and volunteers, or can they provide
alternates?)
Geographical location of each program
Program models
Any other key factors that emerge, such as length of time program has been in operation, any
unique aspects of a given program, etc.
II. STUDY PARTICIPANTS
To be eligible to take part in this study, individuals must:
1. □ Be a volunteer home visitor, a paid home visitor, or a supervisor of home visitors in a
participating program; OR be a person who is knowledgeable about the historical development of a
participating program.
2. □ Have a depth of experience in this work:
a. A volunteer home visitor* will have had several family ‘matches’ (roughly 150 hours or more
working with families in their homes), preferably over a period of at least two years.
b. A paid home visitor* will have been employed by the organization, in a home visiting
capacity, for at least two years.
c. A supervisor of home visitors* will have been employed in this capacity for at least two years.
Duties related to working with home visitors (supervision, support, co-ordination, training, etc.)
should form a significant part of the supervisor’s job.
*An exception may be made if no one in this role meets the exact study criteria. If this is the
case, the Agency Contact Person should discuss this with the researcher as soon as possible.
Criteria for study participants continued on page 4...
253