What is PAT?
Parents as Teachers program is an evidence-based early childhood home visiting framework that builds strong communities, thriving families and children who are healthy, safe and ready to learn. PAT offers parenting education and support to expectant families and those with children up to 5 years old regardless of their background or circumstances. PAT strives to serve all because we care about the well-being of every family.
Services are delivered by Certified Parent Educators who focus on understanding each family's specific strengths. By building trust, parent educators can better encourage parent/child interaction, understanding of their child development’s impact on child behavior and strengthening the family as a whole.
Grounded in evidence-based practices, Parent Educators partner, facilitate and reflect with families in order to understand and organize around their unique strengths in all aspects of the PAT framework.
Parent Educators engage with families in environments that are most convenient and comfortable for families. They provide emotional support and access to knowledge and additional resources. They are NOT to evaluate or judge.
There are four dynamic components to the Parents as Teachers Model:
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Personal Visits
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Group Connections
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Resource Network
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Child and Caregiver Screening
Together, these four components form a cohesive package of services with these seven goals/outcomes:
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Increase parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve parent practices
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Provide early detection of developmental delays and connection to services
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Improve parent, child and family health and well-being
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Prevent child abuse and neglect
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Increase children’s school readiness and success
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Improve family economic well-being
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Strengthen community capacity and connectedness
For a deeper look at the Parents as Teachers Evidence-Based Home Visiting Model
To find a PAT program affiliate near you