Parents as Teachers’ Mission
Parents as Teachers promotes the optimal early development, learning and health of children by supporting and engaging their parents and caregivers.
Brochure
Online Application
Parents as First Teachers
At Kids’ Corps, we believe that parents are a child’s first and most important teacher. Our program is designed to provide parents with information and assistance to embrace their role as their child’s first teacher to enhance their child’s intellectual, language, social-emotional and physical development from birth to age five.
Why it’s important…
- Learning begins at birth
- Research suggests that from birth to three years of age and especially the first six months of life, the brain goes through the most critical stage of development
- By age three, most children have learned 75% of all the language skills they will have as adults
- In the first few years, children learn more and at a much faster pace than any other time in life
- By age three, a child’s brain is already 80% of the size of an adult brain
What is Parents as Teachers?
Parents as Teachers (PAT) is an early childhood parent education and family development support program that can serve families from pregnancy until their child enters kindergarten. The program provides parents with child development information, parenting support and community resource referrals to support family well-being.
About the Model
Parents as Teachers home visiting model is a proven and effective program. Evaluation results of Parents as Teachers home visiting model show:
- Children’s developmental delays and health problems are detected early
- Children enter kindergarten ready to learn and the achievement gap is narrowed
- Children achieve school success into the elementary grades
- Parents improve their parenting knowledge and skills
- Parents are more involved in their children’s schooling
- Families are more likely to promote children’s language and literacy
Our home visiting professionals meet families where they are comfortable, typically in their home. During visits, parent educators assess family needs and partner with parents to set family goals. Home visitors provide necessary information and resources to help parents support the emotional, behavioral and physical development of their children. Each personal visit includes a focus on parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting and family well-being.
What are the components of KCI’s Parents as Teachers?
Home Visits: Every other week, a parent educator shares development appropriate child development and parenting information for families to help them learn to observe their child and address any parenting concerns. Each visit includes:
- A fun parent/child activity designed to enrich parent/child interactions and enhance child development
- Discussion and handouts based on each child’s particular stage of development with information on fun activities to nurture growth
- An opportunity to receive research based answers to parenting and child development questions
Screenings: During home visits or at the parent’s request, children are screened for hearing, vision, health and developmental concerns. These screenings can help parents identify any potential concerns before it becomes an obstacle to the child’s development. If additional help is required, the Parent Educator will provide referrals to services in the community and assist the family to connect with the appropriate community provider.
Group Connections: Families in the program and invited to participate in group connection activities that are hosted two times each month. These events give parents the opportunity to learn and share information on parenting issues and child development. Parents learn from and support each other, observe their children with other children, practice parenting skills and enjoy fun activities with their children and other families. Topics for group connections include literacy, nutrition, music, art and more.
Organizational Documents
- KCI Blue Ribbon Affiliate Certificate
- KCI PAT 2019-2020 Affiliate Report
- KCI PAT Info Graphic 2019-2020
- KCI PAT 2019-2020 Essential Requirements Review
Links
Parents as Teachers website: https://parentsasteachers.org/