WestEd Consumer Report gives PAT curriculum a ‘stellar review’
Parents as Teachers has received a “well-supported” rating from the Prevention Services Clearinghouse (PSC), and obtained a stellar review of its Foundational Curriculum: Prenatal to 3 in the WestEd Center for Child & Family Studies Consumer Report.
PSC was established by the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to review research on programs and services that support children and families and prevent foster care placements. It came into being as a result of the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018.
PSC evaluates and rates programs as “promising,” “supported,” and “well-supported.” The services offered by various programs include mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services, in-home skill-based parenting education, and kinship navigator services. According to PSC, Parents as Teachers was given the highest ranking of a well-supported practice because at least two studies with non-overlapping samples achieved a rating of moderate or high on design and execution, and demonstrated favorable effects in a target outcome domain.
WestEd is a San Francisco-based nonprofit research and development agency whose consumer report is used by Early Head Start and Head Start grantees to inform their decisions when choosing a home-based curriculum to use in service delivery. The WestEd Curriculum Consumer Report provides reviews and ratings, based on criteria of effective, comprehensive curricula, for infant and toddler, preschool, and home-based curricula.
Head Start programs use the report to select high-quality, research-based curricula that meet or exceed the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS).
Kerry Caverly, senior vice president and chief program officer at Parents as Teachers, said the PSC designation and the WestEd review are significant because they validate the effectiveness of the Parents as Teachers home visiting model and its evidence-informed and research-based curriculum.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized by these reputable rating agencies,” said Caverly, who is responsible for both Expansion and Model Replication and Training, and Curriculum and Professional Development at Parents as Teachers. “Their acknowledgment speaks to our ability to equip our professional home visitors with information to identify and build on family strengths, capabilities, and skills, which translates into enhanced service delivery for the countless families we serve.”
This year, Parents as Teachers is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Since 1984, Parents as Teachers has sought to increase parent knowledge of early childhood development, improve parenting practices, promote early detection of developmental delays and health issues, prevent child abuse and neglect, and enhance school readiness and success.
The Parents as Teachers evidence-based home visiting model includes four core components: personal home visits, supportive group connection events, child health, and developmental screenings, and community resource networks. Parents as Teachers services are delivered to diverse families with diverse needs, and Parents as Teachers sites typically target families with specific risk factors.
Families can begin the program prenatally and continue until their children enter kindergarten. Services are offered on a biweekly or monthly basis, depending on a family’s needs. Sessions are typically held for one hour in the family’s home, but can also be administered in schools, childcare centers, or other community spaces.