Developed to help the home visitor build an effective home-based program for Head Start children and their families, this handbook is intended to serve as a blueprint for parent-focused home visits that assist the child and family to meet their full potential. The first chapter lays a foundation for the program that includes a home-based philosophy statement, a description of three approaches to home visiting, a review of adult education principles, information about family systems, typical attitudes toward families, and hints for forming effective communication skills with families. The framework for the home-based program is built upon this foundation in the second chapter and takes into consideration the recruitment process and the home visitor's role in it. Chapter three gives an in-depth view of the critical components of a home-based program, a description of how to conduct a high quality home visit, samples of record keeping forms, a detailed discussion of how to plan and implement group socialization experiences, ideas for an effective parent involvement program, and an examination of confidentiality and documentation issues. The final chapter provides a list of problems frequently faced by home visitors and suggests possible solutions. Criteria for a successful home-based program, sample home-based curricula, and eight pages of references are appended. (HOD)