Speaking at the annual conference of the Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association (CPHVA) in Southport, Balls said pressure needs to be applied to local health services to get numbers up.
The call came after health secretary Andy Burnham unveiled the Action on Health Visiting Programme.
"We need more health visitors consistently across the country," Balls said. "It is really important that children's trusts in every local area are asking the tough questions of commissioners of services.
"We need to apply some real pressure and you need to apply some real pressure as well. He (Burnham) was encouraging you to use your skills, pressure and experience to get an increase in numbers and we need to help you to do that."
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