By the time Jace* was just three years old, the odds seemed stacked against him. He was non-verbal, withdrawn, and struggling with developmental delays, and in a devastating blow, methamphetamine was found in his system due to exposure inside his own home.
Removed from that home by the Department of Children and Families, Jace was placed with grandparents as his guardians. Through The Family Initiative program, the family was referred to Parents as Teachers in his county for home visiting services.
Through Parents as Teachers, Jace’s caregivers were connected with a caring, trained parent educator who immediately saw their potential. They worked together to build trust, create a safe and nurturing home environment, and implement simple, play-based strategies to encourage communication. Visits brought not just support, but hope. The home visitor helped the family understand child development and connect with the local school system for early intervention services. His family also received the skills and tools to be Jace’s first and best teachers.
Early intervention specialists came alongside the family and Parents as Teachers, conducting assessments and providing targeted speech and developmental therapy. With time, love, and consistency, small moments turned into major milestones.
By the end of the school year, Jace had transformed from utter silence to speaking simple words and phrases. His vocabulary grew and his confidence did, too.
Now, Jace is thriving in preschool, talking with friends, engaging with his teachers, and continuing to build on the foundation created through early support.
What once seemed impossible is now a daily reality. A bright, curious and joyful little boy has found his voice and his future thanks to the power of early intervention, the dedication of caregivers, and the support of home visiting.
Thanks to a generous grant from Elevance Health Foundation, Parents as Teachers is now working to enhance support for parent educators walking with families negatively impacted by substance use, so that many more families can experience the same bright future.
*Name changed to protect privacy.