What is Parents as Teachers?
Parents as Teachers is an international early childhood parent education and family support program serving families throughout pregnancy until their child enters kindergarten, usually age 5. The program is designed to enhance child development and school readiness through parent education accessible to all families.

Is this home schooling? 
No.  Parents as Teachers is an early childhood development program for children ages birth to 5.

What does it cost? 
Most Parents as Teachers programs are provided to families free of charge.

How does the program work?
While many Parents as Teachers programs may look different from the outside depending upon their sponsoring agency, all provide the same core services.

• Personal visits — 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.
• Group meetings — Opportunities to share information about parenting issues, child development and practice parenting skills.
• Screening — Periodic developmental, health, vision and hearing screening provides for early identification of developmental delays and health, vision and hearing problems.
• Resource referrals — Parent educators help families identify and connect with needed resources. Programs take an active role in establishing ongoing collaborative relationships with other organizations that serve families.

How do I find a Parents as Teachers Program in my area?
Go to the “Find a Program” map, enter the state or zip code for a list of programs by city.

I can’t find a program in my area, what do I do?
If there is not a Parents as Teachers program in your area, you can access parenting information from our web site, www.parentsasteachers.org. Once at the site go to the Parenting Tips section. There you can find parent/child activities, parent pages, additional resources and suggested reading materials for you and your child.

If you would like further information about starting a Parents as Teachers program, please contact our program implementation coordinator at 1-866-PAT4YOU (1-866-728-4968).

How do I become a parent educator?
In order to gain employment as a parent educator, you should contact the program(s) you are interested in working for.  You can find program information by visiting our web site (www.patnc.org)and using the Find a Program feature.