A Village That Grows With You: Shanna Carswell-Worley’s 26 Years in Home Visiting
When Shanna Carswell-Worley spells out her name, she laughs about its length. But in her community, her name carries something even bigger than a hyphen — it carries 26 years of trust, commitment, and love for families.
Shanna is a Family Support Specialist and Supervisor with Catawba Valley Healthy Families, a program of Children's Hope Alliance based in Morganton, North Carolina. Nestled in the foothills between Asheville and Hickory, Morganton has been the heart of Shanna’s life’s work for more than two decades.
And she never planned for it to become her life’s work.
Building a Program From the Ground Up
In March, Shanna marked 26 years with Catawba Valley Healthy Families. She joined the program at just 23 years old, after working in a developmental day program serving children with special needs.
A colleague told her about a new initiative being launched in Burke County using the Healthy Families model — a long-term, relationship-based home visiting approach focused on strengthening families and preventing child abuse. Shanna attended a meeting out of curiosity. That curiosity turned into an interview, then a job offer, and ultimately a calling.
“I say I came in as a baby, and I’m going to leave as a very old person,” she jokes.
As one of the founding staff members, Shanna helped build the program from the ground up — experiencing every growing pain, every staffing transition, every success story, and every heartbreak along the way.
For 25 years, the program served only Burke County. In the past year, it has expanded into four additional counties: McDowell, Iredell, Catawba, and Caldwell. Expansion brought new opportunities — and new challenges — including hiring three new staff members and building relationships in entirely new communities.
“You feel like you’re so knowledgeable in your county,” she says. “Then you go to another one and realize, ‘Okay, I need to learn all over again.’”
But growth, she believes, is a blessing.
“Watching a mom who may not have had that instant bond with her baby, and helping her build that attachment — that’s one of the greatest parts of the job.”
Relationships That Last a Lifetime
Today, Shanna maintains a caseload of families, while also supervising three full-time staff members. She intentionally continues direct service.
In her program, home visitors conduct the initial family assessment and continue serving the family long-term. That continuity matters. It allows relationships to form from the very first point of contact.
And those relationships often last far beyond program completion.
Shanna is still in touch with families she began serving nearly 26 years ago. One of the children she once served is now married and expecting her first baby.
“I truly love these families,” Shanna says with a smile.
One of her most meaningful moments came when a young mother she had supported walked across a college graduation stage — something that mother once believed was impossible.
Facing the Hard Realities
The work is beautiful. It is also heavy.
In Burke County, Shanna has witnessed rising struggles with addiction — including overdoses and heartbreaking losses. Mental health resources are often inaccessible, with waiting lists stretching six months to a year. Housing has become increasingly unaffordable, particularly for families with past criminal histories who are excluded from many income-based housing options.
“Just because you have a criminal background from 20 years ago does not mean that’s who you are now,” she says. “Our families deal with obstacles from all angles.”
In the past decade especially, housing instability has intensified. New apartments are being built — but at rents many families simply cannot afford.
These realities reinforce Shanna’s belief in prevention.
“Prevention is absolutely 100 percent the way to go,” she says.
The Power of Attachment
Despite systemic challenges, some of Shanna’s favorite moments happen quietly — on living room floors, during playtime between parent and child.
“Watching a mom who may not have had that instant bond with her baby, and helping her build that attachment — that’s one of the greatest parts of the job,” she explains.
Not every parent experiences immediate connection after birth. Pregnancy, labor, sleep deprivation, and stress can all affect bonding. Shanna sees her role as normalizing that reality and gently supporting parents as they build secure attachments over time.
“That bond can grow,” she says. “And getting to be there while it does — that’s powerful.”
A Family That Keeps Growing
When asked what she wishes she’d known at the start of her career, Shanna doesn’t mention paperwork or policies. She talks about family.
In a small town, home visitors don’t disappear when the visit ends. Families see them at the grocery store. They meet their spouses. They watch their children grow up.
And the program’s village extends even further. Former participants — some from 10, 15, even 20 years ago — return to volunteer at parent groups and holiday celebrations. Graduates stay connected. They bring their children back.
“It takes a village,” Shanna says. “And we have a huge one. I love having a small part in it.”
Looking Ahead
As Catawba Valley Healthy Families prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary this May, early graduates will return to speak. Community members who have watched the program grow will gather to celebrate its impact.
Shanna hopes to see home visiting continue expanding into counties that currently have no services at all. She believes deeply in long-term models that can serve families for up to five years — long enough to help reshape trajectories before a child enters school.
She plans to continue mentoring new home visitors while remaining directly connected to families.
After 26 years, one thing is clear: Shanna Carswell-Worley isn’t just a home visitor. She is part of the story of an entire community — a steady presence through life’s events, and second chances.
And if you ask her about being recognized nationally, she’ll quickly deflect the credit.
“This entire team deserves it,” she insists.
But for the families who handed her graduation tickets, invited her into precious life moments, and still call decades later — the honor feels exactly where it belongs.
Congratulations Shanna, on being selected one of this year’s National Home Visitor of the Year!
To learn more about Catawba Valley Healthy Families and Children's Hope Alliance, visit https://www.childrenshopealliance.org/catawbavalleyhealthyfamilies
Healthy Families America: Healthy Families America (HFA) is one of the leading family support and evidence-based home visiting programs in the United States. Learn more athttps://www.healthyfamiliesamerica.org/
National Home Visiting Week: Celebrating home visiting and the professionals who make this field special! National Home Visiting Week (NHVW), is a yearly observance to celebrate and recognize home visitors and the positive impact they make on maternal and child health outcomes. In 2025, the Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals (Institute), an organization focused on strengthening home visiting and human service programs across the country, began this grassroots movement with nonprofit partners and elected officials across the country. The 2026 National Home Visiting Week will be held April 20-24, 2026 nationwide. Learn more atwww.theinstitutefsp.org/nhvweek
Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals (Institute): The Institute is an organization focused on strengthening home visiting and human service programs across the country. The Institute offers home visitors and family support professionals everywhere the opportunity to learn new skills and grow their careers and is the national hub for personal growth, professional development and career advancement. Learn more at www.theinstitutefsp.org
#NHVW #NationalHomeVisitingWeek #NHVW2026 #HomeVisitingHeroes
Thank you to Molina Healthcare for providing 2026 corporate sponsorship, allowing us to provide a gift package to five home visitors across the country who we honor as National Home Visitors of the Year.