While they may spend their days in living rooms, kitchens and nurseries helping families build the foundation for healthy, thriving lives, this week, more than 70 home visitors from across South Carolina traded their home visits for the halls of the State House.
Representing communities from the coast to the Upstate, home visitors gathered in Columbia to advocate for themselves, their families and the future of home visiting in South Carolina.
Legislators Share Their Enthusiasm for Quality Early Care and Support
The day started with an engaged panel discussion featuring three supporters of quality early care and education: Chairwoman Shannon Erickson, Representative Neal Collins, Representative Kambrell Garvin and Senator Tameika Isaac Devine. All affirmed the importance of home visiting programs, early literacy and having strong relationships with elected officials.
Each legislator emphasized that relationships matter in the world of policy. Constituents who show up, put a face to an issue, and build ongoing connections with their elected officials are far more likely to move the needle than those who don’t.
Their advice was straightforward: Don’t wait for a crisis to introduce yourself. Know how to best communicate with your representative or senator, keep coming back, keep building trust and keep telling your story.
Lt. Governor Evette Affirms Her Support
Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette addressed the group and offered a message of solidarity and encouragement. A longtime champion of home visiting in South Carolina, Lt. Governor Evette has visited families receiving home visiting services, stood alongside advocates at the State House, and publicly called for expanded funding for these programs.
She reiterated her belief that home visitors are doing some of the most important work in the state, reaching families at their most vulnerable moments and equipping parents with the tools they need to give their children the best possible start in life.
Her presence sent a meaningful signal: Home visiting has allies at the highest levels of South Carolina’s government.
Recognition on the House Floor
Home visiting advocates were formally recognized by Representative Collins in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Being recognized on the House floor was a powerful reminder that their presence had been noticed and that the profession they represent holds a place of honor in South Carolina.
Representative Collins shared from the floor, “Home visitors provide one-on-one support to a new or expectant parent, offering guidance on prenatal health, child development and family stability to improve long-term outcomes for both parent and child.”
Celebrating Excellence: A National Honor Comes Home
The day also brought moments of celebration. The group recognized Sanquinita Martin, lead home visitor at the Parenting Place in Easley, as one of only five home visitors nationwide to receive the distinction of National Home Visitor of the Year from the Institute for the Advancement of Family Serving Professionals.
The award is a testament not only to Sanquinita’s extraordinary dedication to the families she serves, but to the caliber of professionals working in home visiting programs across South Carolina every single day.
Her colleagues cheered her on with the pride of a profession that knows its transformative work is too often unseen.
A Profession to Celebrate and Notice
Home Visiting Advocacy Day was more than a day trip to Columbia. It was a statement by 70 professionals declaring that the work they do, in homes, with families, often without fanfare, deserves to be seen, valued and funded.
They left the State House having planted seeds with legislators, strengthened their collective voice and carried home the knowledge that they are not alone in this fight.
South Carolina’s families are stronger because of home visitors. And South Carolina’s home visitors are stronger because of days like this. Thank you for what you do.
