In February, our federal funder for home visiting, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), in collaboration with the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), welcomed families, home visitors, and national partners from across the country to Washington, D.C., for a special roundtable, highlighting the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. Two South Carolina MIECHV partners were asked to participate.  

With more than two decades of experience in child abuse prevention and family support services, and a strong dedication to helping families establish healthy foundations for their children, Sanquinita Martin, lead home visitor, represented the Parenting Place in Easley.  

Nyisha Gathers and Barbara Ramos represented Beaufort Jasper Hampton Comprehensive Health Services. Gathers has more than 25 years of experience in early childhood, supporting children and their families from the classroom to the community. She has worked directly as a home visitor for several years, applying evidence-based early literacy practices in her families’ homes. Ramos, as the program supervisor, is a dedicated home visiting advocate with more than 6 years of experience as a Parents as Teachers supervisor, helping parents build strong connections and fostering early learning and healthy development. 

At the roundtable, parents shared stories of how home visiting has empowered them with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to become their child’s first teacher. Home visitors spoke about the trust and partnership that make this work possible.  

Federal leaders were able to see home visiting in action, not as a concept or statistic, but as real relationships, moments and impact that are working to build strong foundations for early learning and literacy. The roundtable highlighted how federal investments in maternal health and early childhood development are improving postpartum health, building confident parents, strengthening parent-child bonds, and boosting early language development. 

Left to right: Cathy Ramage, director of home visiting at Children’s Trust; Nyisha Gathers, home visitor at Beaufort Jasper Hampton Comprehensive Health Services; Thomas J. Engels, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration; Barbara Ramos, Parents As Teachers supervisor at Beaufort Jasper Hampton Comprehensive Health Services; and Sanquinita Martin, lead home visitor at the Parenting Place.