Parents as Teachers Day designated Nov. 8

Many families throughout Montgomery County have become familiar with the Parents as Teachers (PAT) program offered through the county’s public health.

Currently nearly 70 families use the “free” service to help ensure their child is acquiring good skills in language, social-emotional development and is reaching physical milestones to be ready for kindergarten.
Two full-time parent educators, Heather Burson and Samantha Thomas, and part-time bilingual educator Sandy Hladky meet with parents and children in the family’s home on a monthly basis.
Burson has been visiting parents and young children for nearly five years now and has heard from teachers that the PAT program is making a difference for several children.
“We tell parents we’re there for guidance, not to tell them how to parent but to help them parent to the best of their ability. The program is for any child, from prenatal until they enter kindergarten. We don’t have income guidelines,” Burson said.
Thomas, who is the department’s most recent hire, is excited about visits she makes in homes.
“We use a researched curriculum based on neural science, and I like that,” Thomas said. She recently completed her training for the pre-natal to three-year-olds and was excited to hear children could learn five languages simultaneously because their brains are geared for learning.
“Kids have such an opportunity to learn, even when they’re two months old. I get excited that I can help parents foster the child’s development even at that age and give the parents information to help them continually work on that child’s development,” Thomas said.
When a parent-educator visits a home around the child’s yearly birthdays, screenings help determine how closely the child meets typical developmental milestones. Through toys and communication, the parent-educator helps determine if some area needs additional attention, and in some instances, if some community program or resource would be beneficial to help the child become more ready for kindergarten.
On other visits, most children, and the parents caring for the child, look forward to the 45-60 minutes of activity and interaction. Generally the parent-educator brings along books and toys the child will enjoy.
“The other day, I played a game with a child where the child tried dropping a clothespin into a container,” said Thomas. Though the clothespin game was fun for all concerned, it helped assess and increase motor and language skills.
Burson said she often tells parents, “Your kid was not born with a manual on how to raise him or her.”  When asked what she would encourage parents to do with their children, Burson suggested reading and talking to them and providing the child with lots of experiences. “We encourage community things like “Story Time” at the library. It’s not about the cost of toys,” she said.
The women spoke about outdoor explorations and other activities they can encourage parents to share with their children in the child’s earliest years. Most of what a person will learn occurs in its first ten years.
“I love working with the children and being able to teach the child, but the parents are the number one teacher. They learn from their parents. We just hope to give them tips so their child can reach his or her potential,” Thomas said.
Parents are invited to take part in parent group meetings occasionally and generally find a support system and friendships with parents of young children.
The PAT program allows young children to take part in health, vision and hearing screenings and other activities and developmental skills without charge..
The parent-educators generally meet during the daytime, though some appointments are in the evening. Any family with young children, including those not fluent in English, is encouraged to contact the department, too.
Hladky speaks Spanish and has been a part of the program for several years.
“We’ll take new referrals and families,” Burson said, “and there’s no cost for enrolling other than the time commitment to keep the appointment with the parent-educator.”
To discuss the service or to arrange an in-home visit, call 712-623-4893.
Because grants fund the program, there is no charge for the home visits.