Current Projects
Parents As Teachers (PAT)
Program
Information
| PAT Brochure | History
and Background | Quotes from Families |
FAQ's
Parents
As Teachers
A Program for All Families
Parents As 
Teachers
(PAT) is a free, voluntary, family education, and support program designed
to provide practical, timely information to all families regarding child
development. The program is available to anyone who has a child prenatal
to kindergarten entry and lives in Dubuque County. Parents As Teachers
is based on the truths that parents are the first and most influential
teachers of their children and that the early years lay the foundation
for a child's life.
The Parents As Teachers program was created in 1981 by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; it was designed to maximize children's overall development during the first three years of life. The Parents As Teachers National Center, St. Louis, Missouri, was created in 1987 to provide leadership and training to PAT programs; more then 8000 educators have been trained and certified by the center. In addition to training and technical assistance, the center provides curriculum development, research coordination, and promotion of public policy that supports early childhood family education.
Personal Home Visits
Personal visits are the heart
of PAT. A credentialed Parent Educator trained in child development helps
you 
understand
what to expect as your child grows and offers practical suggestions on
encouraging learning, managing challenging behavior, and promoting strong
parent-child relationships. A parent-child learning activity provided
by the Parent Educator is a highlight of the visit. The program offers
two one-hour home visits per month.
Group Meetings
Group meeting opportunities serve two major purposes — first to create opportunities for parents to share success and common concerns about their children's behavior and development; second to provide a vehicle for additional input from Parent Educators and from outside speakers. Group meetings are offered at various times and locations. Door prizes and refreshments complete the event.
Screening
Developmental screenings reassure parents when their child is developing on target and identify problems early to assist parents with appropriate interventions. Developmental screening is conducted annually by the Parent Educator. Health, hearing, vision, lead, immunizations, and dental also are monitored. Parent and Parent Educator observations coupled with periodic screening serve to ensure against undetected delays or learning difficulties during the first years of life that may interfere with success in school.
Resource Network
In serving families, the Parents
As Teachers program helps parents link with other resources in the community
to provide services beyond the scope of PAT.
For more information on PAT in Dubuque County or to enroll in the program,
contact Amy Kallaher at
(563) 557-3100 or write to akallaher@fouroaks.org
To contact PAT National Centers site, go to www.parentsasteachers.org .
