Parents as Teachers
Parents As Teachers is a home-based parent education program. A certified Parents As Teachers parent educator partners with families to nurture the healthy development of children, prenatal to through age three.
Parents enrolled in the program receive home visits structured around key components that are universal to all families' healthy development. The parenting behaviors that are focused on include: nurturing, guiding, responding, communicating, and supporting learning. In addition to parenting behaviors we also work on specific developmental topics such as: attachment, discipline, health, nutrition, safety, sleep, transitions/routines, and promoting healthy births.
Parents As Teachers services help to build the five protective factors that are the foundation of the Strengthening Families approach. Protective factors are attributes that, when present in families and communities, serve as buffers to prevent or reduce risk to families and children. The protective factors are: parental resilience, social connections, knowledge of parenting and child development, concrete supports in times of need, and social and emotional competence of children.
Parents enrolled in the program receive home visits structured around key components that are universal to all families' healthy development. The parenting behaviors that are focused on include: nurturing, guiding, responding, communicating, and supporting learning. In addition to parenting behaviors we also work on specific developmental topics such as: attachment, discipline, health, nutrition, safety, sleep, transitions/routines, and promoting healthy births.
Parents As Teachers services help to build the five protective factors that are the foundation of the Strengthening Families approach. Protective factors are attributes that, when present in families and communities, serve as buffers to prevent or reduce risk to families and children. The protective factors are: parental resilience, social connections, knowledge of parenting and child development, concrete supports in times of need, and social and emotional competence of children.
Short-term Outcomes:
• Increase in healthy pregnancies and improved birth outcomes (when services are delivered prenatally)
• Increase in parents' knowledge of their child's emerging development and age-appropriate child development
• Improved parenting capacity, parenting practices, and parent-child relationships
• Early detection of developmental delays and health issues
• Improved family health and functioning
Intermediate Outcomes:
• Improved child health and development
• Prevention of child abuse and neglect
• Increased school readiness
• Increased parent involvement in children's care and education
When parents are enrolled in the program they will receive eight core visits designed to set a solid foundation for further learning and developing. After the eight core visits the home visitor and parents will decide what topics are covered so that the program is individualized to the family's needs. The PAT program continues until the youngest child reaches the age of four and is transitioned to a preschool program. We encourage parents to enroll in the program a minimum of two years. When families are the neediest, weekly one-hour visits are usually scheduled. As the family is strengthened, these visits can be cut back to once every other week and then once a month. The parent educator works with the family to transition the child into preschool and provides referrals to other community resources.
To find out how to enroll in the PAT program call (989) 269-3485.
• Increase in healthy pregnancies and improved birth outcomes (when services are delivered prenatally)
• Increase in parents' knowledge of their child's emerging development and age-appropriate child development
• Improved parenting capacity, parenting practices, and parent-child relationships
• Early detection of developmental delays and health issues
• Improved family health and functioning
Intermediate Outcomes:
• Improved child health and development
• Prevention of child abuse and neglect
• Increased school readiness
• Increased parent involvement in children's care and education
When parents are enrolled in the program they will receive eight core visits designed to set a solid foundation for further learning and developing. After the eight core visits the home visitor and parents will decide what topics are covered so that the program is individualized to the family's needs. The PAT program continues until the youngest child reaches the age of four and is transitioned to a preschool program. We encourage parents to enroll in the program a minimum of two years. When families are the neediest, weekly one-hour visits are usually scheduled. As the family is strengthened, these visits can be cut back to once every other week and then once a month. The parent educator works with the family to transition the child into preschool and provides referrals to other community resources.
To find out how to enroll in the PAT program call (989) 269-3485.