More than 250 home visitors and early childhood interventionalists from across South Carolina gathered in Columbia for the biennial Home Visiting Summit, hosted by Children’s Trust of South Carolina. The event offered 1.5 days of professional development, networking and collaboration focused on strengthening the state’s home visiting system.

Supporting the Home Visiting Workforce

Children’s Trust leads the state’s efforts to build, support and convene the home visiting workforce. Through its partnership with the Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals (Institute FSP), South Carolina’s home visiting professionals gain access to valuable learning resources and support.

“Home visiting is such a challenging field,” said Cathy Ramage, director of home visiting at Children’s Trust. “And it takes not only a lot of professional development, but also this piece that we really want to address, which is helping home visitors feel a part of something bigger and having camaraderie with others.”

Statewide Impact and Services

Children’s Trust administers South Carolina’s federal investment in home visiting through the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program. The funding supports three evidence-based models: Healthy Families America, Nurse-Family Partnership and Parents as Teachers. These programs serve hundreds of families across the state each year.

Home visiting professionals—including nurses, early childhood specialists and social workers—work directly with families from pregnancy through toddlerhood. They support parents by offering mentoring, coaching, and guidance on parenting, child development, resource navigation and self-sufficiency.

A Chance to Recharge

“This is two days focused on their development—that’s pretty special,” said keynote speaker Janet Nickell Horras, who serves as executive director at the Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals. “They get the chance to get their cup filled. And hopefully they heard over and over how important they are to so many people.”

Attendees learned and laughed with three featured speakers and participated in 16 breakout sessions covering a wide range of topics, including supporting parents with emotional regulation and accessing early childhood services throughout South Carolina.

“The breakout sessions are always informational and help us remember why we do the job we do,” said Sarah Griggs, a home visitor with McLeod Nurse-Family Partnership in Florence.

Lt. Gov. Evette: “You Have a Friend and Advocate in Me”

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette addressed attendees during the event, expressing her appreciation for their work. She reflected on the power of home visiting that she’d seen first-hand and her role in securing state funding through the General Assembly last year to expand home visiting programs.

“As a mom and as your lieutenant governor, I realize that children really are our future. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Know that you have a friend and advocate in me,” Evette said.

Recognizing Excellence in Home Visiting

During the summit, Children’s Trust honored two outstanding professionals. Iris Ballen-Morant was named Community Leader of the Year, and Alberto Montoya received the Home Visitor of the Year award. Both were nominated by their peers and selected by the Home Visiting Summit Advisory Council.

Ballen-Morant serves as the programming assistant for the South Carolina First Steps Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program. She is described as a driving force of change, compassion and commitment, known for her professionalism, heart and initiative.

Montoya is a bilingual parent educator for Eau Claire Cooperative Health’s Parents as Teachers program. He provides critical support to families navigating language and cultural barriers and is praised for his compassion and dedication.

A Shared Vision for the Future

The summit also included a panel discussion on the shared vision for home visiting in South Carolina. Leaders from the South Carolina Department of Public Health, South Carolina First Steps, Children’s Trust and the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina shared how their organizations support the field and encouraged further collaboration.

Melissa Amey, Parents as Teachers supervisor at Carolina Health Centers, Inc. in Greenwood, emphasized the lasting impact of home visiting.

“The work that we are doing is making a change for generations to come,” she said.

Relive the Moment