The goal of the Parents as Teachers (PAT) model is to provide parents with child development knowledge and parenting support, provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, prevent child abuse and neglect, and increase children’s school readiness. The Parents as Teachers model includes one-on-one home visits, monthly group meetings, developmental screenings, and linkages and connections for families to needed resources. Parent educators conduct the home visits using structured visit plans and guided planning tools. Local sites offer at least 12 hour-long home visits annually with more offered to higher-need families. Parents as Teachers serves families for at least two years between pregnancy and kindergarten. Parents as Teachers affiliate programs select the target population they plan to serve and the program duration. For more information, please read the Model Overview.
This report also includes a review of two adaptations to Parents as Teachers: (1) Parents as First Teachers (PAFT-New Zealand) and (2) Baby Family and Child Education (Baby FACE). The New Zealand Ministry of Social Development’s Family and Community Services created the PAFT adaptation of Parents as Teachers to specifically meet the needs of their indigenous populations. As of 2016, implementation support is no longer available for PAFT (New Zealand). Baby FACE is implemented in the continental United States and serves high-need American Indian families by integrating Native language and culture into the model.