Parents as Teachers

Teachers from day one.

Parents as Teachers (PAT) is an evidence-based early childhood home visiting model that builds strong communities, thriving families, and children who are healthy, safe, and ready to learn. The PAT mission is to promote the optimal early development, learning, and health of children by supporting and engaging their parents and caregivers.

PAT empowers parents as their child’s first teacher, working with families from pregnancy through kindergarten. PAT services can be offered in various types of organizations, including but not limited to family resource centers, early childhood councils, non-profit organizations, school districts, and family literacy programs.

Model certified parent educators implement the PAT model and build strong relationships with families using the PAT fundamental approach: partner, facilitate, and reflect.

Impact

The PAT affiliate model is designed to achieve four primary goals:

  • Increase parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve parenting practices
  • Provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues
  • Prevent child abuse and neglect
  • Increase children’s school readiness and school success
PAT in 2021-22

25

sites

35

counties

1,721

kids served

15,897

visits

Model components

The PAT affiliate model has four dynamic components that together create a cohesive package of services for families with young children:

  • Personal Visits: certified parent educators work with families to support parent-child interaction, developmental-centered parenting, and family well-being. Parent educators tailor the work with the family to the specific needs of the child, the challenges facing the parents and the family context. Parents choose the location of visits that best fits their needs. This is often the family home, but also includes parks library, or virtually through a video conferencing platform like Zoom.
  • Group Connections: Social support is offered through group meetings. Families observe their children in a social setting and support their child’s development while building parenting skills.
  • Health & Developmental Screenings: Developmental and health screenings are conducted to support early detection of delays or concerns for children. Screenings includes hearing, vision, dental, and safety. Screenings help parent educators tailor services based on the child’s individual needs.
  • Resource Network: Parent educators connect families to local resources like housing vouchers, food, mental health services, early intervention, or other services.

Parents as Teachers Blue Ribbon Affiliates

The Parents as Teachers Quality Endorsement and Improvement Process helps ensure that Parents as Teachers affiliates are achieving fidelity to the Parents as Teachers model and facilitates continuous quality improvement.

Being named a Blue Ribbon Affiliate means these sites are nationally-recognized leaders in the home visitation and parent education field and among the very top programs implementing the evidence-based Parents as Teachers model with fidelity and quality.

To earn the designation, programs engage in a rigorous self-study and review process from the National Center. Those earning Blue Ribbon status are truly exemplary programs, delivering highest quality services to children and families.

Colorado PAT affiliates that have earned this distinction:

Arapahoe County Early Childhood Council PAT
Berthoud & Loveland/ House of Neighborly Service
Bright Futures for Early Childhood & Families PAT
Catholic Charities of Southern Colorado
Colorado Springs School District 11 PAT
Community Partnership Family Resource Center PAT
Delta Family Center PAT
Family Star Montessori

 

Focus Points Family Resource Center PAT
Growing Home PAT
Hilltop Family Resource Center PAT
La Plata Family Centers Coalition PAT
Metropolitan State University of Denver PAT
Roots Family Center
Shiloh House PAT
Tri-County Family Care Center

 

Learn More

If you are a parent or guardian interested in learning more about PAT for your family visit PAT for Parents, or contact Indira Galaviz at indira@parentpossible.org.
If you are an agency or organization interested in learning more about becoming a PAT affiliate program visit Becoming a PAT site or contact Michele Provost at michele@parentpossible.org.

Key PAT Resources

2022 Program Report - PAT

PAT 2018-2019 Evaluation

PAT 2020-21 State Snapshot

PAT 2018-19 State Snapshot

PAT 2019-20 State Snapshot

PAT Logic Model

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