When Persephone Starks considers the inspiration for her work at Parents as Teachers, she thinks about two other important roles.
“I’m a mom and I’m an aunt, and they’re two of my favorite roles in my life,” she said. Knowing the significance of children’s connections with their parents, families, and communities, Starks reflects on the kind of positive influence she wants for the children in her own life and then on her vision for how Parents as Teachers can support these relationships, too.
“This work pierces my heart because I think about the opportunities that we have to serve parents in their roles as parents,” she said, “to be the best providers and educators that they can, cheerleaders for their children and for themselves, and creating happy, healthy families.”
Starks’ “small but mighty” team of five staff support 36 Parents as Teachers affiliates in the state of Texas. These affiliate organizations implement the Parents as Teachers curricula, serving families and children through the four model components of personal visits, group connections, a resource network, and child and caregiver screening. Starks’ team works alongside their affiliates by guiding implementation, providing technical assistance, liaising with the national office, and troubleshooting any issues that arise.
“This work is a great platform to be able to encourage others in the supports that they provide to families,” Starks said.
Each member of her team contributes uniquely to the quality of work, Starks says. Affirming and platforming their strengths is an important part of her leadership. She urges them to hone both their skills and their passions and models development they can replicate.
“I try and lead our program and lift [my team] up in ways that I would expect for them to lift up both our supervisors and for our supervisors then to lift our parent educators,” she said.
Starks began her role with Parents as Teachers after fifteen years in home visiting. Though her work centers in the state of Texas, her vision extends far beyond, “helping to create those family systems that are happy and healthy, which lead to happy and healthy communities and a happy and healthy world.”