In-home visitation near the time of birth of an infant helps to prevent the emergence of negative parenting patterns at a time of crucial development for the child. The effectiveness of such programs in reducing child abuse and neglect has been borne out by a variety of longitudinal studies of the outcomes for support and education services near the time of birth. Presenting problems that suggest the need for home visitation services shortly after a child's birth include lack of positive social support for the parents and marital or family problems; late or no prenatal care; unstable housing, income, or transportation; history of substance abuse, interpersonal violence, or incarceration; and a history of parental mental illness. Generally accepted best practices for a home visitation program shortly after birth include systematic standardized assessment to determine the need for and intensity of a variety of services; long-term and intensive services (at least one home visit per week) with structured criteria for increasing or decreasing the level of intensity over a period of years; interventions and techniques that are culturally based, strength-based, and solution-focused; and intensive, specific ongoing training for staff and regular relationship-based supervision of direct-service workers. Training topics are suggested in this chapter. Sample successful outcomes for home visitation are listed for the parent and family, the child, and the community. A relevant case vignette with follow-up questions is provided. 4 selected readings and 2 resources