Iowa’s Virtual Home Visiting System Connects Families to Resources

To meet this need, the Iowa Department of Health (IDH) created Parentivity, an online interactive home visiting system that connects parents with a rich library of resources available in English and Spanish. The system uses data to identify early warning signs and deliver personalized content to parents to reduce family risks and optimize resilience. Features include interactive learning games, self-assessments, evidence-based videos and articles, action plans and goal tracking, community chat boards, and expert forums. Parentivity is funded through Iowa’s Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting grant to extend and expand the reach of IDH’s maternal health and family home visiting services.

Parentivity provides parents with the right information at the right time based on the unique needs of each child. Parentivity can be accessed on a computer, tablet or hand-held device by any parent in Iowa at no cost. The evidence-based content was developed by leading experts to assist new parents in ensuring their child has the skills and opportunity to grow and thrive.