Strengthening Data Management – What’s New and What’s Next
A great deal has happened with programmatic data management at Parents as Teachers over the past year, including the closeout of the Penelope Data Management system and the complete transition to Visit Tracker. Continue reading to learn more about the transition from Parents as Teachers Penelope to Visit Tracker Web, as well as the work coming in the new year to align the data system with the next evolution of the Parents as Teachers Foundational curricula: the Born to Learn® Curriculum.
A Look Back – and Where We Are Today
Parents as Teachers began this journey more than a decade ago with the launch of the Parents as Teachers Penelope system in July 2015. Since that time, our commitment to high-quality data entry, secure data management, and meaningful reporting has continued to grow.
When Penelope first launched, it included only a handful of reports and was supported by a single staff member. Over time, both the system and our capacity expanded significantly. Today, the preferred Parents as Teachers data system offers more powerful reporting options, a dedicated support team, and—most importantly—affiliates who actively use data to inform practice and drive positive outcomes for families and children.
As our network and data needs evolved, it became clear that a more flexible and scalable data management system was needed to support affiliates into the future. In April 2024, Parents as Teachers announced the transition from Parents as Teachers Penelope to Visit Tracker Web as its preferred data system. By fall 2024, data migration was completed for 338 affiliates.
Today, Visit Tracker Web supports a growing majority of Parents as Teachers affiliates and offers enhanced functionality, including an automated Affiliate Performance Report (APR) submission process and improved data consistency to support accurate and timely reporting. Affiliate engagement continues to increase, with Visit Tracker use growing from 576 affiliates in January 2025 to 630 affiliates today.
Curriculum Updates:
In summer 2026, Parents as Teachers will launch a new web-based content platform that will host the Born to Learn® Curriculum. This platform will serve as the central home for curriculum content and resources.
The Born to Learn® Curriculum will unify the current Foundational and Foundational 2 curricula under a single updated name and design, offering resources from prenatal through age six and incorporating updates that reflect the ongoing commitment of Parents as Teachers to high-quality, research-based materials.
To align with this launch, Visit Tracker will be updated to reflect the new curriculum structure, with a new curriculum selection option added when planning and recording personal visits.
Affiliates will continue to have access to the existing Foundational and Foundational 2 curriculum options in Visit Tracker for a transition period, allowing programs to move to the Born to Learn® Curriculum at a pace that works best for their teams.
MIECHV Updates
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced updates to the MIECHV performance measures that will take effect beginning in the 2026–2027 program year. In response, Parents as Teachers is reviewing the data collection implications of these changes to ensure continued alignment with MIECHV requirements.
This work aligns with Parents as Teachers National Center’s commitment to streamline Parents as Teachers data collection and documentation in ways that support affiliates while maintaining the integrity and consistency of required reporting. Parents as Teachers has already begun engaging stakeholders to gather feedback and participate in advisory committees, ensuring that perspectives from across the field inform this process.
As this work continues, Parents as Teachers will collaborate with Visit Tracker and other data system partners to ensure updates are well coordinated and clearly communicated. Additional details will be shared as plans are finalized, giving affiliates ample time and support to prepare for these changes.
Looking Toward the Future:
With the transition to Visit Tracker Web complete and a full year of experience behind us, Parents as Teachers is well positioned to build on this momentum. As more than 70% of affiliates now use a single data system, we are creating greater consistency across the field while opening the door to richer research and evaluation opportunities.
As Visit Tracker data continues to be integrated into our data warehouse, alongside historical data from Penelope, we look forward to expanding access to deeper, more meaningful data insights for affiliates, funders, and other stakeholders. These efforts will strengthen decision-making, enhance program quality, and ultimately deepen our impact for families and children.
Thinking about adopting Visit Tracker Web?
If your affiliate is considering using Visit Tracker, or you are a funder considering it for your state, we’d be happy to share more information with you. Access to Visit Tracker is a benefit of affiliation and is available at no extra charge. Visit the Visit Tracker Information page for more information about Visit Tracker web, or head over to the Demo Page to see the system for yourself.
If you have questions, we are here to help! Data Support Specialists are available during regular business hours (8:00 – 5:00 Central Time) to assist you. Contact us at datasupport@parentsasteachers.com.