Parents As Teachers (PAT)
Parents As Teachers is an early childhood parent education and family support program serving families until their child enters Kindergarten, usually age 5. The program model consists of four components: Personal visits offer parents age-appropriate child development information, help them to observe their child, address parenting concerns and engage the family in activities that provide meaningful parent-child interaction. Group meetings provide opportunities for families to share information about parenting issues and observe their children in a social setting.
Screenings are conducted to provide early identification of developmental delays and health, vision, and hearing problems and increase parents’ understanding of their child’s development. A resource network helps families identify and connect with needed resources, and overcome barriers to accessing services.
Information About Child Welfare
Youth served by the child welfare system have unique needs as they navigate adolescence, grow into their identities, and approach adulthood. Youth must be respected as experts on themselves and treated as equal partners throughout case planning, permanency planning, and other child welfare activities.
Connection to family and other trusted adults is crucial during adolescence. Youth need support forming and maintaining these relationships while in foster care to support the development of authentic connections that last long into adulthood. It is also important that they have support in maintaining connections to their cultures and communities. This social and community support can serve as a protective factor to mitigate the trauma of child welfare involvement.