Nurses or paraprofessionals visit families in their homes on a regular basis to educate them on appropriate parenting, nutrition and the social-emotional development of children, among other things, Rauner said. “They are an important part of the social supports families need to help children thrive.” Last year, federal funding for MIECHV supported 28 programs that provided services to 988 families across the state. A lack of federal funding could be detrimental to these types of home visiting programs, most of which are run by community-based organizations.