Get to know Parents As Teachers
Written by Laura Henriquez, MPPFC 2018 Spring Intern
Founded in Missouri in 1984, Parents as Teachers serves more than 195,000 children in all 50 U.S. states, more than 100 Tribal organizations, schools and communities, five other countries, and one U.S. territory with the goal of helping children develop, learn, and grow to realize their full potential.
How amazing would it be to have a helping hand when it comes to giving your child all the important teaching tools? Wouldn’t it be great to have someone brainstorm ideas to enhance your child’s development? Guess what!? The Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children is one of the incredibly lucky organizations able to offer PAT to families in our community.
Parents As Teachers can take a lot of relief off your shoulders by having someone you could speak to about your worries and concerns. Offering parenting support, positive interactions, and child development information through playgroups, home visits, group meetings, and connections with additional community services. Parents are the most influential teachers in a child’s first years, so why not have someone who can teach you helpful teaching techniques?
Studies show:
- People who participate in this program are more advanced by age 3 in language development, problem-solving, and social skills
- Parent knowledge of child development increases significantly for all types of families
- Parents involvement is seen much more in child schooling
The Parents as Teachers approach is to partner, facilitate and reflect — not teach you how to be a parent, or to criticize or critique your parenting skills. Utilizing the free materials offered through the Partnership’s Lending Library, PAT conducts in-home visits to teach activities, provide support, and simply lend an ear to the concerns and struggles that many families face.
The Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children has two Parents As Teachers Educators, Heidi Serrano who is bilingual in English and Spanish, and Dori Evans. For more information about the Parents As Teachers program, contact us — in Martin County at 252.789.4911 or Pitt County at 252.758.8885.