Developed jointly by UNICEF ECARO and the International Step by Step Association (ISSA), the Supporting Families for Nurturing Care: Training Resource Package for Home Visiting Practices is now available on UNICEF’s website.

The training package equips trainers of home visitors with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools needed to deliver consistent, high-quality, and impactful capacity building—both pre-service and in-service. It provides a standardized yet adaptable framework for strengthening home visiting as a key community health service that supports families from pregnancy through early childhood.

Structured into three interconnected guides — General Overview, Foundational Training, and Extended Training — the resource includes detailed session plans, ready-to-use slides, handouts, and adaptable materials to support national implementation.

Grounded in the principles of nurturing care, family-centered practice, and adult learning, the training encourages reflective learning, peer exchange, and the practical application of new approaches. It integrates both programmatic and role-related learning: from child development, health, and parental wellbeing to empathetic communication, observation, collaboration, and cultural responsiveness.

This comprehensive package represents an important and unique contribution to the field of early childhood development. It reflects a long-standing and fruitful collaboration between ISSA and UNICEF, built over nearly a decade of joint work to enhance the quality, consistency, and impact of home visiting services across Europe and Central Asia.

🔗 View the resource package on our knowledge hub.