Family Home Visiting Certificate
The Family Home Visiting Certificate is a unique certificate program at WKU! Few universities across the country offer this amazing educational opportunity. The Family Home Visiting Certificate prepares students to provide in-home services to families who are engaged in a variety of programs designed to strengthen the family, or assist a child with a specific need. Select examples of home visits includes working with families:
- At risk for child abuse and neglect
- Who need additional parenting skills
- Whose children are involved in First Steps
- Who are adopting a child
- Whose children attend Head Start
Home visiting occurs in a variety of fields such as:
- Early Childhood Education
- Child and Family Studies
- Education (Elementary, Middle, and High School)
- Nursing
- Social Work
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Gerontology
(This is not an exhaustive list of careers that involve home visiting as part of their practice.)
Potential clients of home visits include:
- Children receiving therapies in the home,
- Parents needing healthy pregnancy information and parenting skills,
- Families at risk for abusing and neglecting their children;
- Those who need other support services.
Curriculum: Students must earn a grade of "C" or better in these courses.
- FACS 395 Child and Family Stress (Online Spring, Summer, On-Demand)
- FACS 494 Parenting Strategies (Classroom in Fall, online Winter, Spring, Summer)
- FACS 497 Family Home Visiting (Online during Spring)
- Elective course chosen with advisor.
The elective is chosen after a discussion between Dr. Darbi Haynes-Lawrence (Family Home Visiting Certificate advisor) and the student. Some electives within Family & Consumer Sciences include, but are not limited to:
- FACS 311 Family Relations
- FACS 312 Professional Ethics in Family Life (Spring, online)
- FACS 391 Risk & Resilience (online; Fall only)
- FACS 393 Play and Child Development (online; Fall only)
- FACS 422 Adolescent Development (Spring, online)
- FACS 495 Family & Relationship Violence (Face to face Fall; online Spring)
- FACS 496 Challenging Behaviors (online; Fall only)
Examples of majors of students who have graduated with the Family Home Visiting Certificate include: Child and Family Studies, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Family & Consumer Science Education, Elementary Education, Nursing, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, or the Bachelor's of Interdisciplinary Studies.
Students who are interested in completing the Family Home Visiting Certificate program must submit a completed Undergraduate Certificate Form. Dr. Haynes-Lawrence can assist you with this form.
For more information, please contact Dr. Darbi Haynes-Lawrence or the Applied Human Sciences department at 270-745-4352.
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