Sites are often uncertain how to use the PIMS option of “re-enrollment” offered on the Home Form.  It is important to differentiate among the scenarios where families may have been receiving home visiting services for a period of time, “fall away” from services, and then return.  Factors to take into consideration are the length of time the family has not been receiving home visits, and whether the family has the same target child or a new baby who will be considered the target child.

Definitions:

• Enrollment.  Enrollment is an official commitment by a participant to receive services.  For HFA sites, enrollment is demonstrated by completion of a first home visit.  However, non-HFA sites may define enrollment as date of screening, date of assessment, target child’s birth, the date services were verbally accepted, the date a participant agreement form was signed, or the date a service level was first assigned.
• Engagement. Engagement is a demonstrated commitment to services by completion of one or more home visits.  For most HFA sites, the terms engagement and enrollment will be synonymous.  However, some HFA sites may technically use the term “engagement” to refer to a more solid commitment- e.g. completion of multiple home visits (not just one).
• Short Lapse Re-enrollment.  The family has terminated, but re-contacts the program within a short period of time (suggested up to three months post-termination) and wants to resume services with the same target child.
• Long Lapse Re-enrollment.  The family has terminated, but re-contacts the program after a period of time has elapsed (suggested four to six months post-termination) and wants to resume services with the same target child.
• Second enrollment.  The family has terminated and at a later time wants to resume services with a new pregnancy or baby as the target child.  Note that this is NOT intended for tracking subsequent children in cases where a participant is still enrolled with the original target child.
• Temporary termination.  A level of service defined by the site to account for the intervening time period between a family’s termination and re-entry in home visiting services.

Short-lapse and long-lapse re-enrollments are more common than second enrollments.  With transient populations, families may move out of and back into the service area.  When a family moves out of the county, for example, the program is obliged to terminate them.  However, a change in job or housing situation may bring them back into county within a short time.  Another common scenario is the family who is terminated after three months on creative outreach, then within a short time re-contacts the home visitor and wants to resume services.  In general, both these situations involve the same target child and a brief disconnection from services, and should be handled as re-enrollments rather than second enrollments.

Note:  Depending on the length of time that has passed, sites may want to exclude long-lapse re-enrollments from retention and outcome measures.  Although immunization records can be brought up to date for the intervening months, child development and home monitoring measures can’t be “made up” after the assigned screening window has passed.

Second enrollments should be reserved for situations where the family is re-entering services with a new target child.  Because a significant amount of time may have elapsed and other significant changes occurred with the family (e.g., new FOB), second enrollments will require that new screens, assessments and intakes be performed.  Sites will typically want to exclude second enrollments from measures of retention and other outcome measures.  Parents who have already participated in program services will presumably have benefited from the educational experience, and will therefore show less dramatic “improvement” in parenting skills.

Using the Re-enroll Button
The Re-enroll Button on the Home Form can be used to help you filter complicated cases out of certain PIMS reports.  Some reports have a parameter labeled “exclude transfers/re-enrollments”; this option will remove anyone who has the Re-enroll Button activated on the Home Form.  It is a good idea to use this option in order to more cleanly calculate measures such as retention for only those families which were continuously enrolled.

Note:  The Re-enroll Button should be used for Long Lapse Re-enrollments and Second Enrollments, but not for Short Lapse Re-enrollments.  See examples below.