Affiliates

Parents as Teachers uniquely addresses the distinct challenges facing American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) families by leveraging strengths of their communities. Our tribal affiliate programs are culturally specific, locally implemented and use community-based paraprofessionals, which support the local workforce development. The program honors cultural heritages, tribal teachings, practices, traditions, values, beliefs and incorporates diverse cultural strengths and language into every personal visit. 

Each Parents as Teachers tribal affiliate works with their tribal elders and leaders when starting-up and implementing a program. Programs are operated by Native staff and organizations. The Parents as Teachers  model program is often enhanced to use Native language, incorporating traditional arts crafts, storytelling and connecting families to tribal events.

Take a look at our 2021-2022 Tribal Programs here.

Family and Child Education (FACE) is a partnership between the federal Bureau of Indian Education, the National Center for Families Learning and Parents as Teachers National Center. FACE is a unique family program for American Indian families that matches highly trained, local, Native, professionals with families from pregnancy through their children’s first years of life.

Starting as early as pregnancy, FACE parent educators help assess family needs and community resources available to them, partner with parents to provide necessary tools to ensure the safety and the emotional and physical well-being of their children, connect families to community programs and resources that enhance stability. When children are age four, families in the program transition from Parents as Teachers home visiting and receive support via center-based care for their children to bolster family-school-community connections. Parents in the program also receive family literacy support to help families set goals and thrive in their own education and careers, long after the program ends.

Visit the FACE website here.

Read about FACE’s impact on American Indian families here.

About SMSF

In late 2014, Parents as Teachers National Center began providing direct home visiting services in the Normandy Schools Collaborative footprint through its Show Me Strong Families (SMSF) initiative. Since then, SMSF has served hundreds of families and children through personal visits in their homes and health and developmental screenings.

Parents as Teachers (PAT) Parent Educators work with families to promote parental resilience, knowledge of parenting and child development, and social and emotional competence of children to strengthen protective factors. As a result, parents report they feel less stressed, more motivated to try new parenting strategies, better able to understand their child’s development, more likely to read with their child, and that their relationship with their child is stronger.

Who We Serve

The SMSF Parents as Teachers program serves families living in some of the most under-resourced communities in the city of St. Louis and north St. Louis County. Ninety percent of the families served are African American and most are low income. Many are teen parents, homeless, and/or have low educational attainment. The vast majority of families served have two or more high needs characteristics such as substance abuse, a parent with a disability, domestic violence, mental health issues, or having an incarcerated parent. Many of the teens are living in shelters (homeless or domestic violence) or in transitional housing. Many of the caregivers served are dads or grandparents. Several Parent Educators are multilingual and all reflect the community served.

Lasting Impacts

Despite unimaginable stresses and challenges, these parents and caregivers demonstrate resilience, a commitment to their children’s welfare, a passion for being the best parents, and a love without comparison.

The Show Me Strong Families team of dedicated staff meet these families where they are: in the home, at the library, in the park, at the Early Childhood Center or wherever the family is most comfortable. The families, and SMSF Parent Educators and staff, do whatever is needed to ensure success.

Enrollment

For more information or to enroll in the program, please contact Ann Young, Director of Partnership and Community Engagement.

In order to become a Parents as Teachers affiliate, an organization must meet the Parents as Teachers model fidelity requirements, called Essential Requirements. These requirements cover affiliate leadership, staffing, services to families and evaluation.

Affiliate Requirements
Each year, affiliates report implementation and service data to confirm they are meeting or exceeding the minimum levels for each Essential Requirement. Parents as Teachers also has Quality Standards that provide a comprehensive blueprint for high-quality services delivery.

Together, the Essential Requirements and Quality Standards form the basis for the Parents as Teachers Quality Endorsement and Improvement Process (QEIP), which is the process that affiliates go through to demonstrate their commitment to high quality services and work to earn the Blue Ribbon designation.

Quality Endorsement Improvement Process
All Parents as Teachers affiliates complete the QEIP every five years. To earn the Blue Ribbon, affiliates must meet all of the Essential Requirements and complete a comprehensive self-study that demonstrates they are meeting at least 80% of the Quality Standards. The Blue Ribbon is good for up to five years, as long as the affiliate continues to meet the Essential Requirements each year.

Programs that earn the Blue Ribbon are recognized by the National Center as exemplary affiliates, delivering high-quality services to children and families.

What is MIECHV?

The Federally funded, Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program enables states, territories, and tribal entities to develop and implement evidence-based, voluntary home visiting programs. The funding is administered by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) in partnership with the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to states and tribes (Tribal MIECHV) and in a few cases, non-profit organizations. MIECHV funded programs focus on achieving positive outcomes with enrolled pregnant persons and families with children up to kindergarten living in communities at risk for experiencing poor maternal and/or child health outcomes.

Programs must implement services using an evidence-based home visiting model that meets the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ criteria for evidence of effectiveness as assessed by the Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomeVEE) review process. The Parents as Teachers model meets the criteria for evidence of effectiveness determined by HomeVEE.

THE PARENTS AS TEACHERS FIT

Implementing the Parents as Teachers model is a method of delivering parenting education and family support within the context of strengths-based relationships. The model and core curricula focus on developing relationships within the context of exploring parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting, and family well-being. In partnership with families, parent educators aim to build protective factors and enhance strengths, capabilities, and skills. Programs that adopt the Parents as Teachers model (also called Affiliates), are designed to serve a variety of families, not just first-time parents. Families enrolled include families across the developmental continuum from prenatal to kindergarten entry, teen parents, families with multiple children, and families across vast geographic regions.

Quick FAQs about Parents As Teachers and MEICHV

• PAT is implemented with MIECHV funding in 37 states, 15 tribal communities, and the District of Columbia
• Thirty-two percent of Parents as Teachers affiliates nationwide receive some MIECHV funding
• Sixteen Tribal MIECHV Programs choose to implement the Parents as Teachers model

Parents as Teachers Partnership with States 

Parents as Teachers goes the extra mile to provide what Affiliates need; from initial preparation to ongoing guidance to reach state goals and ensure families get the support they need for child success. Parents as Teachers provides support for MIECHV state leads and LIAs (local implementing agencies) including use of a robust data system, Penelope, to manage MIECHV specific data.Robust system of support: local to national level

• 22 state offices
• 2 Regional Implementation Support Specialists
• 10 National Office Implementation Support Specialists
• Leadership staff dedicated to MIECHV
• 4 Penelope Customer Support Specialists

For more information, contact Kerry Caverly, Senior Vice President/Chief Program Officer at Kerry.Caverly@Parentsasteachers.org or Tiedra Marshall, Director of Expansion at Tiedra.Marshall@Parentsasteachers.org

What is FFPSA?

The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), enacted as part of Public Law (P.L.) 115—123, authorized new optional title IV-E funding for time-limited prevention services for in-home parent skill-based, mental health, and substance abuse programs for children or youth who are candidates for foster care, pregnant or parenting youth in foster care, and the parents or kin caregivers of those children and youth.

Programs must implement services using evidence-based programs that meet certain criteria established by the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse. Programs are rated as promising, supported, or well-supported. Parents as Teachers model is rated as “well-supported.” For more information, please visit Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse.

Choosing the Parents as Teachers Model

Parents as Teachers is rated as a “well-supported” model by the Title IV Prevention Services Clearinghouse. Research suggests that families enrolled in Parents as Teachers experience positive impacts such as increased parenting knowledge and are better able to manage stress.  Research published in April 2018 in the international, peer-reviewed journal, Child Abuse and Neglect, found that when the Parents as Teachers evidence-based home visiting model is delivered through a scaled-up, statewide home visiting program, there was a significant decrease in cases of child maltreatment.

Parents as Teachers is the most widely replicated evidence-based home visiting model in the United States, serving families with children prenatal through kindergarten. The model enables agencies to fully engage members of the child’s circle of support as key components of the child’s development and well-being. The model is replicated by various types of organizations. Any organization that works with expectant families, teen parents, and/or families with children ages 0-5, can be a Parents as Teachers Local Implementing Agency (LIA).

HOW PARENTS AS TEACHERS PARTNERS WITH JURISDICTIONS

Parents as Teachers goes the extra mile to provide what states, Local Implementing Agencies (LIAs), and Affiliates need—from initial preparation to ongoing guidance—to reach state goals and ensure families get the support they need for child success. Parents as Teachers provides support for affiliates leads and including use of a robust data management system, Penelope, to manage FFPSA specific data.

Quick FAQ’s about PAT and FFPSA

Q: How can the PAT model be used to serve families of children who are at “imminent risk?”

The FFPSA does not define “imminent risk.” Each jurisdiction is responsible for defining who is at “imminent risk” and eligible to receive services under the FFPSA. There are many programs currently serving families in the child welfare system. The role of the program and the parent educator is to support the family and work to understand the issues facing the family and how their development is impacted. It is essential that all program staff receive adequate training to support the well-being of families as well as themselves.

Q: According to FFPSA, treatment may be provided for up to 12 months. How does that align with the required timeframe of 2 years of implementation that is a part of the Parents as Teachers design?

A: Treatment services may be provided for up to 12 months at a time beginning on the date that the individual is identified as in need of services.  A Title IV-E agency may provide services for an additional 12-month period per approval. To claim Title IV-E reimbursement for each additional 12month period, the State or Tribe must first determine and document in a prevention plan that the individual is eligible for such services. There is not a lifetime limit on accessing these benefits.

Q: Is it possible to deliver PAT services virtually?

A: Yes! Not only is it possible, but it is also an approved method of delivering visits that some families prefer. Virtual home visiting provides flexibility for both the family and the parent educator. There are technical assistance briefs dedicated to this topic for more information.

Q: What is the recommended caseload size?

A: Caseload sizes depend on many different factors that can make caseload sizes different for each individual affiliate, and for each parent educator within an affiliate. Parents as Teachers does not have an Essential Requirement defining caseload size. On average, a caseload size for a full-time parent educator is 20 families with a visit frequency of twice per month.

Q: Do supervisors carry a caseload?

A: Many PAT affiliate supervisors carry a small caseload of families to whom they deliver PAT services, including personal visits.

For supervisors who carry a caseload, consider the percent of time the supervisor spends on supervisory tasks. For example, if a supervisor is expected to spend 10 hours per week (0.25 FTE) on providing PAT services to families, then their caseload should be no higher than 25% of a full-time parent educator caseload. (1 FTE= 40 hours per week).

Q: In what languages are the curricula available?

A: The research-based Foundational Curriculum is used by parent educators to inform services delivered to families of children prenatal to age three. The Foundational Curriculum is available in English and Spanish. There are additional translations of select parent handouts in additional languages including but not limited to Arabic, French, Nepali, and Somali. Select parent educator resources are available in both English and Spanish.

In addition, select parent handouts have been modified to reflect the variety of families’ needs and preferences. There are modified reading level handouts and visually adapted parent handouts available.

Q: Is there a cost to use Penelope?

A: Penelope is available at no additional cost to the affiliate. Access to this data management system is included in the affiliate’s fees.

Q: How is PAT adapted to tribal needs?

Each Parents as Teachers tribal affiliate works with their tribal elders and leaders when starting-up and implementing a program. Programs are operated by Native staff and organizations. The Parents as Teachers  model program is often enhanced to use Native language, incorporating traditional arts crafts, storytelling and connecting families to tribal events.

Q: What is the recommended frequency of visits?

Families with one or fewer stressors receive at least 12 personal visits annually and families with two or more stressors receive at least 24 personal visits annually.

Does PAT have a recommended transition process?

A family’s exit from the program should be a planned process that recognizes the family’s accomplishments, helps to ensure they stay connected to community resources, and identifies any additional resources and supports that may be helpful for the family once they are no longer enrolled.

Parent educators can develop a transition plan with the family before they exit using the PAT Transition Plan.  The PAT Transition Plan should be started when exit from the PAT program is anticipated and added to as further discussion occurs, until exit.

What type of professional development would PAT recommend for parent educators? Supervisors?

Recommended professional development includes learning relative to trauma informed care, adult learning, and reflective practices including reflective supervision.

For more information, contact Kerry Caverly, Senior Vice President/Chief Program Officer at Kerry.Caverly@Parentsasteachers.org or Tiedra Marshall, Director of Expansion at Tiedra.Marshall@Parentsasteachers.org