National Home Visiting Week: Juliana’s Story
Celebrating National Home Visiting Week
The Children’s Trust is proud to join organizations across the country in celebrating National Home Visiting Week April 20-24.
Home visiting programs, like Healthy Families Massachusetts, connect families with trained home visitors who partner with parents to provide support, guidance, and resources during the earliest, and most critical, years of a child’s life. Home visiting is linked to lower maternal depression, greater housing stability, reduced involvement with child welfare, and improved child development outcomes.
The Children’s Trust partners with local organizations to implement Healthy Families Massachusetts within their communities, ensuring families have the support they need to thrive.
This week, we’re honored to spotlight the dedicated home visitors who are making a difference for children and families every day.
Meet Juliana Badaro,
Healthy Families Home Visitor at Catholic Charities Boston
Six years supporting families on the North Shore.
What is one lesson you have learned this year or piece of advice
about how to work with families that might be helpful to other home visitors?
My advice is to always have empathy and love for the families. Support them and understand that sometimes they just need someone to listen to them without judging.
Why did you choose a career in home visiting and family support?
I love helping others, specifically young parents. I was a young parent myself, and without the support I received from a home visitor, I wouldn’t have been able to finish high school.
Can you share a story or example of a family you worked with that
was really meaningful to you in the past year?
One family that stands out to me is a young mom who I began working with when her baby who was just a few months old. At the time, the baby’s father was the only person in her life supporting her, but the relationship was abusive. She had left school, had no legal guardian in the state, and was moving frequently without stable housing. She didn’t have health insurance or the resources to provide her child with the proper care needed and was at-risk of losing custody of her baby.
Over the past two and a half years, with the support of Healthy Families, her situation has changed significantly. She left the unhealthy relationship, re-enroll in school, and found work. Her child is now in daycare and receiving consistent healthcare. This year, she will graduate from Healthy Families, and I am beyond proud of how far she has come.
Tell us about how the training you receive supports your work with families.
There are so many helpful training opportunities. I’ve learned tools to manage challenging concerns that have come up with families, how to respect each family’s individuality, and also how to take care of myself so I can continue to do the work and enjoy it.
How does the work you do as a home visitor impact the larger community?
I think it impacts the community a lot. By providing support and help to families, we help prevent child abuse and neglect. We help the community learn how to advocate for themselves and fight for their rights.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your work, your program, your
families, or your community?
I just want to say that without the support of a team, it’s almost impossible to do this job. I’m grateful to be part of such an amazing team. What I always remember is that together, we are stronger.
Thank you, Juliana, for all that you do to support children and families across the Commonwealth.
About National Home Visiting Week
This story is part of National Home Visiting Week (April 20–24), a nationwide celebration recognizing the critical role home visitors play in supporting families and strengthening communities. Throughout the week, we’re highlighting home visitors across Massachusetts who provide trusted guidance, build meaningful relationships, and help ensure children and families have the support they need to thrive from the very beginning.