Resources for Parents
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The Home Visiting eDirectory
Visit our eDirectory to find a home visiting program near you!
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Hear from Real Families
L.A. County families share their experiences with home visiting.
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More Programs and Resources
Check out the programs and resources available in L.A. County!
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In alphabetical order:
Early Head Start provides early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services to low-income infants and toddlers and their families, and pregnant women and their families. Home-Based services are provided through weekly home visits to each enrolled child and family. The home visitor provides child-focused visits that promote the parents’ ability to support the child’s development. EHS also provides center-based services to children ages 0-3. Twice per month, the program offers opportunities for parents and children to come together as a group for learning, discussion, and social activity.
Healthy Families America (HFA) is a nationally recognized evidence-based home visiting program model designed to work with overburdened families who are at-risk for adverse childhood experiences, including child maltreatment. It is the primary home visiting model best equipped to work with families who may have histories of trauma, intimate partner violence, mental health and/or substance abuse issues. HFA services begin prenatally or right after the birth of a baby and are offered voluntarily, intensively and over the long-term (3 to 5 years after the birth of the baby).
SHIELDS for Families’ Healthy Start Program
SHIELDS’ Healthy Start program provides case management and service planning; enrollment in health insurance; linkage to primary and behavioral medical care including health education and promotion, interconceptional care, and screening for a wide variety of maternal and child health conditions. Furthermore, the Healthy Start Program utilizes an array of industry-recognized evidence-based practices in order to provide effective substance abuse treatment services, including Parents as Teachers, Cognitive-Based Therapy, Seeking Safety, Motivational Interviewing, Family-Centered Treatment, and Triple P Positive Parenting.
Nurse-Family Partnership is a free, voluntary, evidence-based program for first-time (“first-time” means no previous live births), low-income (200% FPL) mothers. Clients are enrolled as early as possible during pregnancy to receive tailored home visits by a trained Public Health Registered Nurse. The same nurse will continue to see the client until her child turns two years of age. The program has three main goals:(1) improve pregnancy outcomes by helping women improve their health-related behaviors, including reducing use of cigarettes, alcohol and illegal drugs, and screening for depression, anxiety and Intimate Partner Violence, (2) improve child health and development by helping parents provide more responsible and competent care for their children by using the Ages & Stages Questionnaire and Dyadic Assessment of Naturalistic Caregiver-Child Experiences (DANCE) and (3) improve the economic self-sufficiency of the family by helping parents develop a vision for their own future, plan future pregnancies, continue their education and find work.
Parents as Teachers works with pregnant women and families with children up to kindergarten with home visits twice a month and monthly group meetings. The Parents as Teachers program strives to increase parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve parenting practices, while preventing abuse and neglect and increasing school readiness and success.
Partnerships for Families (PFF) is a program designed to prevent child abuse by addressing gaps in the current child welfare system. Voluntary prevention services developed by PFF are offered to pregnant women and families with children 5 and younger who are at high risk for child maltreatment. Each of Los Angeles County’s Service Planning Areas (SPAs) are served by PFF, which collaborates with other organizations to improve outcomes at the agency, family and community levels.
Below are the individual Partnerships for Families sites:
Jewish Family Service LA recently launched a free, virtual home visiting program called Raising Baby, which provides customized, individual sessions with a Parent Coach and Early Childhood Clinician. In addition, Raising Baby provides a virtual group setting for families to connect, support each other and build community relationships. To learn more, please email RaisingBaby@jfsla.org or call 310-272-7878. (Program flyer)
This free and voluntary program from First 5 LA offers the following during pregnancy and throughout your baby’s first nine months, and can include the following:
An in-hospital visit where you will receive assistance with breastfeeding and information about bonding and attachment, taking care of your baby, and resources your family may need as you transition into motherhood
A personal Parent Coach who meets with you and your family in the comfort and convenience of your home
Information and support on breastfeeding, home safety and other topics
An in-home appointment with a nurse within the first few days after delivering at the hospital
Referrals to additional resources to help you and your baby
Baby- and mom-friendly items such as thermometers, nursing pillows, toys and baby-proofing supplies for the home.
The program is available to all L.A. County families at no cost, who deliver or plan to deliver at one of 13 participating Welcome Baby hospitals, regardless of income status. Welcome Baby will benefit families in different ways based upon where they live and their specific needs.
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ACLS Training Center – A Parent’s Guide to First Aid
The National Safety Council cites injuries as the leading cause of childhood death. Of the accidents that cause these injuries, half occur in the home. When they do, parents or guardians will need to be prepared to take the necessary action. Understanding basic first aid and how to apply it according to the injury and age of the child is critical and can save the life of their child.
ACLS Training Canter – Pediatric Health and Safety Guide
Parents, teachers, guardians, and even babysitters are all people who are routinely responsible for the care and well-being of children. Because both infants and children are not capable of making the decisions and taking the actions necessary to keep themselves safe, they are dependent on the knowledge and efforts of those who care for them. At any point during the day, a child is faced with potential threats from the things around him or her. From the food that they eat to the water that they bathe in, the risk of injury and even death is something that people should always take seriously. Although some adults may instinctively know how to keep children safe in certain cases, they all must learn how to do it in every situation.
Black Infant Health is a unique program designed to address African American infant mortality and to improve the health status of African American families. Throughout enrollment in the program clients receive positive support, continuous encouragement, referrals to family supportive services, health education, and several invitations to attend activities that celebrate good health in a cultural context. Clients attend group classes that are designed to increase self-awareness and self-esteem via facilitated group discussions, peer support, and personal skills building.
CDI, a leading expert in early child development for over 25 years, helps children reach their full potential by focusing on strengthening families and communities in the San Fernando Valley. Using an integrated, “whole child” approach, CDI considers all factors in a child’s development – relationships, environments and communities. CDI’s primary focus is the child’s family. Families are the most important providers of loving relationships and nurturing environments, which provide the foundation for a child’s healthy development. CDI believes all families should have access to quality developmental screenings, safe play-based environments and innovative, effective intervention services. They offer early intervention services, therapeutic services, play-based learning and prevention services, and professional training across LA County.
Developmental Screening and Monitoring (CDC)
Developmental monitoring observes how your child grows and changes over time and whether your child meets the typical developmental milestones in playing, learning, speaking, behaving, and moving. Parents, grandparents, early childhood providers, and other caregivers can participate in developmental monitoring. You can use a brief checklist of milestones to see how your child is developing. If you notice that your child is not meeting milestones, talk with your doctor or nurse about your concerns.
Parents Guide to Developmental Milestones
Play at Different Ages and Developmental Stages
How You Can Create a Safe Sleep Space for Your Newborn
The experts at GoodRX Health review how to create a safe sleep environment so your baby gets safe rest
A Food Choking Hazard Prevention Guide for Kids
Find out about how to keep foods safe for your kids at every age and stage.
Children and Asbestos: What Every Parent Needs to Know
This is a guide for parents about asbestos exposure in young children.
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First 5 California – FREE Kit for New Parents
The FREE Kit for New Parents is packed with the latest information on everything from prenatal care to finding a quality preschool. This award-winning Kit includes: an educational DVD, Advice for New Parents reference book, Puppy and Friends touch-and-feel board book, and much more. Kits are available in English, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.
Black Infants and Families – Doula Program
Are you African American and pregnant? You may be able to receive free support from a birth doula! The LA County Department of Public Health is leading a broad African American Infant and Maternal Mortality (AAIMM) Initiative to combat the disproportionately high rates of Black/African American infant and maternal deaths countywide. Doulas are part of the solution.
Head Start promotes the school readiness of young children from low-income families through agencies in their local community. Head Start encourages the role of parents as their child’s first and most important teachers. Programs build relationships with families that support positive parent-child relationships, family well-being, and connections to peers and community. Both Head Start and Early Head Start programs offer a variety of service models, depending on the needs of the local community. Programs may be based in centers, schools, or family child care homes. Another program option is home-based services, in which a staff person visits children once a week in their own home and works with the parent as the child’s primary teacher. Children and families who receive home-based services meet twice monthly with other enrolled families for a group learning experience facilitated by Head Start staff.
Taking Care of Yourself While Raising Your Grandchildren
It’s easy to be overwhelmed when faced with having to raise your grandchildren. Even though you’ve raised children, your life has changed over the years. And the sudden stress of having a new family to care for can feel like an impossible challenge. Kinship Navigator programs — run by federal, state, territorial and tribal governments — link families to services in states and communities that can help ease the stress and connect them with information, services and other resources to make their challenges more manageable.
We are professional doulas who provide birth and postpartum doula services to low income families, women in the foster care system, mothers in homeless shelters, pregnant teenagers, survivors of sexual trafficking, and expecting women in the criminal justice system. We collaborate with agencies with maternal-child health programs and social service providers to improve the quality of birth, breastfeeding, and baby care. We strive to empower women to get the care they desire, to educate and accompany families before, during and after the birth of their child, providing doula care free of charge for those families who are in need.
Here you’ll find tons of multi-media tools in both English and Spanish designed for children from birth to six, a period when brains are developing rapidly and your nurturing interaction makes a lasting difference. Our videos, activities, printables, and digital interactives feature our friendly, furry Muppets and help you playfully, meaningfully engage with kids during everyday moments. The site covers a wide range of topics, from school readiness to building healthy habits to tough issues such as divorce and hunger.
Even single mothers who have planned carefully can experience problems with paying bills. A medical crisis, job loss, family dynamics, housing change – there are many reasons why single moms can find themselves unable to pay all the bills. If you live in California, there are numerous agencies and organizations that can help by offering food, rental and foreclosure assistance, free or low-cost health care and prescriptions and additional programs. Many of the benefits require the recipient to be low income or experiencing a financial crisis.
There is no such thing as a perfect parent. Parenting is an ongoing process of learning who your individual child is and what he needs to thrive. Our resources are designed to help you tune in to what makes your child tick, and to guide you in thinking about the best way to meet your child’s individual needs.
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For an extensive, frequently updated page of all types of COVID-19 resources, please visit the Stronger Families Blog.
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LA County Department of Social Services – Battered Women Shelters/Walk-In Centers
The Hotline – 24/7 Support and Online Chat Available
Child and Family Guidance Center – Domestic Violence Directory
LA County Department of Public Health – Domestic Violence Shelter Hotlines
LA Domestic Violence Legal Services Resources
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LA County Department of Public Health:
Vaccine Preventable Disease Control Program -
WIC is a federally-funded health and nutrition program for women, infants, and children. WIC helps families by providing nutrition education, issuing checks for healthy supplemental foods, and making referrals to healthcare and other community services. Participants must meet income guidelines and be either pregnant women, new mothers, infants, or children under age five. In California, 83 WIC agencies provide services locally to over 1.16 million participants each month at over 600 sites throughout the State. Contact: 888-WIC WORKS (888-942-9675) or click on the link in the title. You can also apply online here.
Boys and Girls Club of Los Angeles – Grab and Go Groceries
USDA Food and Nutrition Services – Find Meals for Kids When Schools Are Closed
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New science tells us that our children’s first five years are when they develop the foundation for all future learning. Every time we connect with them, it’s not just their eyes that light up – it’s their brains too. In these moments, half a million neurons fire at once, taking in all the things we say and do. We can’t see it happening, but it’s all there, all at work. That’s why Vroom is here. Vroom turns shared moments into brain building moments. Whether it’s mealtime, bathtime, or anytime in between, there are always ways to nurture our children’s growing minds. Vroom was developed by a group of dedicated scientists, community leaders and trusted brands, with input from community organizations and families like yours. Together, we’re providing parents and caregivers with ways to boost early learning.
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This campaign aims to prevent pregnancy-related deaths by sharing potentially life-saving messages about urgent maternal warning signs.
The Council on Patient Safety – Urgent Maternal Warning Signs
Complimentary of the CDC tool, this tool encourages pregnant and postpartum women to speak up and discuss critical symptoms with their care team.
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StreetWyze: Maternal Mental Health NOW
StreetWyze is a community-driven referrals resource from Maternal Mental Health NOW. This project supports communities in reclaiming their power around pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period by ensuring they have a space where their voice is heard in planning, designing and decision making processes in their neighborhoods.
Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network Resources
This page provides basic information about perinatal mental health conditions as well as a compilation of resources from the MHTTC and other reputable sources for the medical and mental health workforce. Where possible, they have included links and resources to culturally-relevant materials.
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CPR Certified: A Medical Guide to Autism
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability. Approximately one in 44 children have received this medical diagnosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This page hosts resources to help people understand and thrive with ASD.
Birth injuries are avoidable, but the reality is, they happen, and it’s best to prepare for the worst. While your child’s birth is an enjoyable and memorable moment, the birthing process is complex, and you do want to be aware of potential risks and plan accordingly. If your infant suffers an injury before or during their birth, it’s important to know everything you can about birth injuries and how to safeguard yourself and your child best as you determine your options for treatment, long-term care, and financial and legal help.
Supporting Students with Disabilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Includes great tips for supporting distance learning in general.
Located in Whittier, Nurture Collective offers services (including virtual) for the whole family, including occupational therapy, speech therapy, feeding and lactation support and mental health programs for moms and children.
The Genius of Play – Play Ideas for Children with Special Needs
Includes online and in-person activities that are fun and educational.
Free Special Needs Resource Directory – Child Guidance and Family Center
Pathfinders for Autism – Free Resources, Trainings, and Activities
Before a Mental Health Crisis Hits – Creating a Family Safety Plan
A Family Safety Plan is a tool created collaboratively with your loved one with lived experience of mental health condition(s), family members, medical staff and friends. It’s your “playbook” of the best ways to minimize or divert a mental health crisis. The plan is prepared when your loved one is stable and can fully contribute. The goal of the plan is to identify possible triggers for a mental health issue and actions, under different scenarios, to minimize or prevent a crisis and ensure the safety of your loved one and other family members. The Family Safety Plan should be prepared in conjunction with the Family Emergency or Crisis Plan.
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Healthy Tips for Mom and Baby – English
Healthy Tips for Mom and Baby – Spanish
Medi-Cal Flyer for Dental Coverage During Pregnancy – English
Medi-Cal Flyer for Dental Coverage During Pregnancy – Spanish
Oral Health Collaborative Consortium – Contact Brochure
Los Angeles County – Dental Clinic List
Love Your Baby’s Teeth – Printable Oral Health Milestones – English
Love Your Baby’s Teeth – Printable Oral Health Milestones – Spanish
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Families can sign up online or call CDI directly at 818-888-4559. Classes are free for families with NICU babies.
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Through direct service, research and training Love, Dad advocates for policies and practices that promote work with fathers as an expected and integrated part of engaging developing families.
Dr. Hershel Swinger created Project Fatherhood at Children’s Institute in 1996 to engage fathers in the care and upbringing of their children. Through support, parenting education and other services, fathers learn to be more loving, responsible parents and active participants in their children’s lives. Project Fatherhood helps fathers to be better parents through individual and family counseling, group support, significant others group and therapeutic activities for children.
At the heart of the program is the Men in Relationships Group (MIRG), which provides comprehensive support at no cost for fathers from diverse backgrounds.
After twenty-plus years, more than 15,000 fathers and 23,000 children across Los Angeles County have participated in the program.
Provided by Jewish Family Service LA
