From Caregiver to Country Leader
From Caregiver to Country Leader
“Every time we do a training, it’s like climbing a mountain. But… when you get to the top, it is so good to stick that flag in.”
Reaching these heights with new parent educators – guiding them as they grasp the theory, the evidence, and the practice behind the Parents as Teachers model – Bec loves this part of her job. But the home visitors she trains have a unique opportunity, as well. The person introducing them to the work isn’t just responsible for launching them into the field; she’s also one of the directors of the countrywide organization.
In that role, too, what excites her most is the opportunities to guide parent educators and supervisors forward in their work. And the size of the country – around 200 professionals serve across the UK – makes those opportunities uniquely personal.
“Sometimes they just WhatsApp me, or they might text me, or they might ring me, or email me with a little question,” she said, and she can give them an immediate response. “I love it.”
Her responses are informed by two decades of experience with the organization, beginning with what some might consider the very best inauguration in the program: enrollment as a mom herself.
“This health visitor knocked on my door to do the first home visit,” she said, referring to a form of postnatal support provided by the National Health Service. “She said, ‘Oh, I think you’d love Parents as First Teachers. Do you want to find out some more about it?”
Bec had just moved into a new home in a new town, and three weeks after the move, she’d given birth to her second son. Juggling a toddler and an infant while navigating a new space, she eagerly agreed to the offer of support.
Bec partnered with her parent educator until both of her sons graduated from the program; the two boys had an affectionate nickname for their home visitor and still remember her today. She is the person who, having stayed in touch after the visits ended, suggested that Bec pursue a career in the field. “Without hesitating,” Bec said yes, and a week later she was receiving the training that she now delivers. She was trained, as it happens, by the person responsible for establishing the program in the UK in the first place, Pam Holtom, who is still a director today.
The collaboration across continents began just six years after the launch of the program in the US. With a single location and minimal funding, the UK became the first international hub of Parents as Teachers. It would eventually expand to locations across England, Scotland, and Wales, bringing with it a clear message about the importance of early intervention and the key to strong success: supporting caregivers to give their children everything they need.
As they’ve grown, Bec’s own children, who benefitted from that support decades ago, have turned the tables. From her initial nerves about delivering training a decade ago to her feature in a Parents as Teachers podcast this year, they’ve returned the interest and encouragement throughout Bec’s journey serving in the organization.
“They’re so supportive now,” she said. “They say, ‘We’re so proud of you, Mum.’”