West Columbia, South Carolina resident Rosa Linda Contreras has been awarded Parent Educator of the Year by Parents as Teachers, the largest evidence-based early childhood home visiting model in the US.
Parent educators with the organization support caregivers as their child’s first and best teacher, providing coaching and goal-setting tools, developmental tips, resource connections, and community engagement. Home visiting professionals earn the Parent Educator of the Year distinction for their outstanding service in areas like engaging and retaining families, cultural competency and respect, leadership and team spirit, community impact, and professional development. Applicants are nominated by a colleague or supervisor, and a committee of Parents as Teachers staff from various departments reviews the applications to select the winners.
“This award is more than just recognition; it’s a dream come true,” Contreras said. “It inspires me to continue growing as a Parent Educator through Parents as Teachers and deepens my commitment to helping families thrive by building stronger, more connected relationships within our community.”
A bilingual parent educator for STAR Family Partnership of Lexington School District Two, Contreras has spent three years partnering with parents and caregivers in her current role. Her work supports important forward momentum in the lives of the families she serves, according to supervisor Sheri Stewart, who nominated Contreras. Contreras’s community partnership initiatives provide access to important resources, as well, Stewart said.
“Rosa collaborates with service providers in our community to meet the needs of the families that we serve and to connect to other families in the community,” Stewart wrote. “As part of our team, Rosa has collaborated with the co-founder of the Reading Is Power organization to provide bilingual libraries to families to build their home libraries and to provide affordable produce to families to support their nutritional needs.”
Contreras will receive the award alongside two other parent educators at the 2025 Parents as Teachers International Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Thursday, October 16, 2025. One of the largest early childhood home visiting conferences in the US, the event gathers educators and leaders in the field from across the US and around the world for four days of professional development and networking. Over 1,400 attendees, both in-person and virtual, are registered to attend.
About Parents as Teachers
Parents as Teachers creates strong communities, thriving families, and children who are healthy, safe, and learning by matching parents and caregivers with trained professionals for regular personal home visits during a child’s earliest years, from pregnancy through kindergarten. With over 188,000 families served in all 50 U.S. states, 138 tribal organizations, and six other countries, the Parents as Teachers evidence-based home visiting model is backed by over 40 years of research-proven outcomes for children and families. Annually, Parents as Teachers National Center supports over 8,600 professionals and partners with 2,200 organizations, including school systems, social service nonprofits, health departments, tribal organizations, and military installations.