Bethany Koetting, Parents As Teachers Coordinator

• 573-883-4500 x 2424

• bkoetting@sgdragons.org

Angie Lewis, Parents As Teachers

• 573-883-4500 x 2411

• alewis@sgdragons.org

Kara Hurst, Parents As Teachers

• 573-883-4500 x 2411

• khurst@sgdragons.org

Parents as Teachers (PAT) is an international early childhood parent education and family support program, serving families from pregnancy through preschool/Kindergarten entry. The program is designed to enhance child development and school achievement through parent education accessible to all families. It is a universal access model. Recognizing that all families can benefit from support, PAT families come in all configurations, from all socio-economic levels, and from small town and rural communities. It is a national model, but a local program. Family participation is free and voluntary.

Vision:

All children will learn, grow and develop to realize their full potential. 

Mission:

To provide the information, support, and encouragement parents need to help their children develop optimally during the crucial early years of life.

1. Parents are their children’s first and most influential teachers.

2. The early years of a child’s life are critical for optimal development and provide the foundation for success in school and life.

3. Established and emerging research should be the foundation of parent education and family support curricula, training, materials and services.

4. All young children and their families deserve the same opportunities to succeed, regardless of any demographic, geographic or economic considerations.

5. An understanding and appreciation of the history and traditions of diverse cultures is essential in serving families.

The Parents as Teachers model is an evidence-based early childhood home visiting program that builds strong communities, thriving families and children who are healthy, safe and ready to learn. Certified parent educators who implement the Parents as Teachers model emphasize parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting and family well-being in their work with families. 

There are four interrelated and integrated components of the model: personal visits, group connection, screening and resource network.

1. Personal Visits: Personal visits (monthly or bi-weekly) are the major service delivery component. During these visits, parent educators share age-appropriate child development information with parents, help them learn to observe their own child, address their parenting concerns and engage the family in activities that provide meaningful parent-child interaction.

2. Group Connections: Group Connections provide opportunities to share information about parenting issues and child development. Parents learn from and support each other, observe their children with other children and practice parenting skills.

3. Screening: Periodic developmental, health, vision and hearing screening provides for early identification of developmental delays and health, vision, and hearing problems. Regular review of each child’s developmental progress identifies strengths and abilities as well as areas of concern that require referral for follow-up services and increases parent’s understanding of their child’s development.

4. Resource Network: Parent educators help families identify and connect with needed resources and overcome barriers to accessing services. Programs take an active role in establishing an ongoing collaborative relationship with other organizations that serve families.

Parents As Teachers offers FREE Community Developmental Screenings year-round for all children within district boundaries ages 3 months to 5 years. Screening is the process of measuring a child's general health, vision, hearing and development. The areas of development focused on during this screening are motor, language, concepts, social/emotional, and adaptive. This will be an opportunity to learn more about how your child is meeting developmental milestones and ways you may improve their potential for learning. To schedule a screening, call PAT at 573-883-4500 ext. 2424.

All Missouri children under five years old are able to register for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. There is no deadline to register. The Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by providing high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to children free of charge. In order to receive books, a parent or guardian must register their child on the Imagination Library national website. Books will be mailed directly to the homes of registered children every month. Learn more about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Missouri here.