Parents’ Choice Award Winner
Parents’ Choice
Award Winner
Every year, the Parents as Teachers International Conference platforms celebrations, from individual achievements like Parent Educators of the Year, to the Losos Prize for Innovation and the Blue Ribbon status earned by affiliates. This year, the Parents as Teachers National Center also bestowed a new award with a very different premise than the usual application-based recognitions.
A story submission form on the Parents as Teachers website invites anyone involved in the program to share a snapshot of their experience. Especially striking are the submissions from families across the network who write to testify to the transformational power of their partnership with the parent educator in their lives. These family stories served as the inspiration for the newly introduced Parents’ Choice Award.
Not one but two families took the time to write about their experiences with the inaugural winner of the Parents as Teachers Parents’ Choice Award, Brittnie Brake of Growing Futures Early Education Center in Overland Park, Kansas.
One mother shared about the way that Brittnie supported not only her son’s development but also her own parenting. “I really want to thank her and the entire Parents as Teachers program for being such a great help for us,” she said.
The other parent’s testimony illustrated the significance of the intentional, committed care that home visiting extends.
“She has been my Family Educator for years now,” this mother began, “and has made such a huge impact on our family & has been so extremely supportive, even through our hardest times.. and still is. We love her so much!!”
She went on to describe Brittnie’s support when the family experienced a personal tragedy.
“She stuck by our side and if we didn’t have her, I am not sure where we would be!”
The relationship forged between parent educator and caregiver stands on a strong, dedicated partnership with support and growth as the goals, and Parents as Teachers National Center was pleased to recognize Brittnie Brake’s commitment to that valuable service.
