Family Centers’ Perinatal Continuum of Care Model receives the Parents as Teachers Losos Prize for Innovation for addressing gaps in support during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Greenwich, CT – Family Centers, Inc., has been awarded the international Losos Prize for Innovation by Parents as Teachers as Teachers National Center, for implementing the Perinatal Continuum of Care Model in response to systemic gaps in services for families during their pre- and perinatal period.
The Family Centers, Inc., home visiting program serves families from prenatal through early childhood in Fairfield County. The award is given to Parents as Teachers affiliates whose innovations and community impact stand out as exceptional in the field of home visiting.
Parents as Teachers is the most widely implemented evidence-based early childhood home visiting program in the US and provides caregiver coaching and guidance, supporting families in achieving health and well-being, child development, and economic goals.
“Our approach has been shaped by research, by what families tell us they need, by what our staff observe, and by what our data reveal,” said program director Andrea Payo. “It has taken collaboration, creativity, and the courage to build something new for our community.”
A multi-pronged approach, the innovation includes
- a program of bilingual doulas, whose support smooths barriers of language and trust at each stage of pregnancy and postpartum.
- A bilingual nurse, based in Stamford Hospital and embedded in the Parents as Teachers program, who eases the transition between hospital-centered and community-based care, a critical support gap previously faced by families in the program.
- An enhanced process for data recording, which has also improved the ability to respond to identified needs.
The innovations are already seeing impact. Prenatal enrollment in the program has doubled since the implementation of this continuum of care, with qualitative family feedback contributing additional support for the program’s success.
“Most importantly, our work ensures that families—particularly those historically underserved—are supported through trusted relationships that begin during pregnancy and continue through early childhood,” Payo said.
“The recipients of the Losos Award showcase innovative solutions that address the needs of communities, caregivers, and program systems,” said Constance Gully, President and CEO of Parents as Teachers. “They deliberately braid clinical, community, and home-based support into a single cohesive system, truly exemplifying the principle of meeting families where they are.”
The Losos Award will be presented at the 2026 Parents as Teachers International Conference in Portland, Oregon on Thursday, October 5, 2026. The largest conference dedicated to early childhood home visitors in the US, it will bring together over 2,500 professionals and leaders in child development and family support for four days of professional development and networking.
About Parents as Teachers
Parents as Teachers builds strong communities, thriving families and children who are healthy, safe, and learning. We match parents and caregivers with trained professionals who make regular personal home visits during a child’s earliest years in life, from pregnancy through kindergarten. The internationally recognized evidence-based home visiting model is backed by over 40 years of research-proven outcomes for children and families. Parents as Teachers currently serves over 189,000 families annually in all 50 U.S. states, 127 Tribal organizations, and six other countries. Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc. is located in St. Louis, MO.