The Pre-Assessment is designed to evaluate your current knowledge of the content areas outlined in the National Family Support Professional Competency Framework. To ensure that the Career Compass can provide you with the most tailored and effective guided learning opportunities, we recommend completing the Pre-Assessment before starting any training modules.

Once you’ve completed the assessment, your results will be mapped onto your personalized Career Compass. This tool will guide you to relevant trainings within the Institute, helping you fill knowledge gaps and strengthen your skills as you prepare for the National Family Support Certification Exam.

Take the Pre-Assessment today to set your path toward achieving your professional goals!

The Career Compass is your customized roadmap for professional growth, built from your Pre-Assessment, training module quiz results, and Certification Exam results.

After completing the Pre-Assessment, you’ll receive a summary of your current knowledge in your Career Compass. This tool is grounded in the National Family Support Competency Framework—a shared model of skills and competencies essential for all home visitors.

Both the Career Compass and the Institute’s trainings align with these national core competencies, ensuring your learning experience is relevant and impactful. You have the flexibility to take training modules at your own pace and in any order—your journey is entirely up to you! 

Start navigating your path to success with the Career Compass today!

Think of the National Family Support Competency Framework as the scaffolding to help grow your career! Family Support Professionals (FSPs)—including family support workers, nurse home visitors, and parent educators—share a core set of essential skills. These professionals operate across a variety of program models such as Healthy Families America, Nurse-Family Partnership, Parents as Teachers, local program initiatives, and many others.

The National Family Support Core Competencies serve as a foundational framework for all professional development trainings offered by the Institute. These competencies ensure that each learning module is both rigorous and directly relevant to the field. By aligning trainings with this framework, professionals can gain the targeted knowledge and skills needed to excel in their roles and advance their careers.

National Core Competency Framework (ENGLISH) (SPANISH)

National Supervisor Competency Framework (ENGLISH)

National Competency Framework
Competencies At-A-Glance (ENGLISH)

All Institute training modules and the Career Compass are based on the National Core Competency Framework for Family Support Professionals or the National Supervisor Competency Framework.

Our professional development trainings are designed to help you advance your career, build confidence, and enhance your efficiency as a Family Support Professional (FSP). Strengthen your knowledge and skills in key areas such as child development, family engagement, and early childhood education. Each training module includes quizzes to test your understanding, and successful completion earns you certificates and digital badges to showcase your accomplishments.

The Institute provides a comprehensive range of trainings tailored to FSPs and program supervisors, covering the full range of home visiting competencies and skills. The Institute is committed to accessibility and inclusion, as the library of trainings available in Spanish continues to grow  to meet the needs of diverse learners.

Digital badges are a modern, online representation of the competencies you've gained—just like traditional badges sewn onto clothing, but with the added benefit of being easily shareable and verifiable by any organization. Each badge is uniquely tied to the learner who earned it, serving as a credible and distinct symbol of your professional growth.

These badges can set you apart by offering an innovative way to display your skills and accomplishments while helping others recognize your commitment to professional development. The Institute is proud to offer badges that highlight your expertise in home visiting.

Start earning your digital badges today and take the next step in showcasing your achievements!

The National Family Support Certification Exam has been developed to test the knowledge of family support professionals in each of the domains outlined in the National Family Support Competency Framework for direct service professionals.

The exam has been tested by family support professionals and validated by a team of testing experts to offer a quality and non-discriminatory exam.

Read The National Family Support Certification Exam Test Form Construction & Standard Setting Technical Report and The National Family Support Certification Exam Validity Study Report here:

Validation Report 2020

Validation Report 2022