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Parents as Teachers (PAT) Program


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Parents as Teachers (PAT) Program

A parents is a child's first and most important teacher. This FREE program is designed to provide parents with information and to help build their children's intellectual, language, social, and physical development from birth to age three.

Parents as Teachers is funded in whole by the Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program. MIECHV supports pregnant women and families and also helps at risk parents of children, from birth to kindergarten entry. They tap into multiple resources and hone the skills needed for parents to raise children who are physically, socially, and emotionally healthy and ready to learn.

Parents as Teachers is a free and voluntary program available to any Bonneville county resident who is pregnant or has a child up to 3 years of age. Families will receive education through fun activities, referrals to resources in our community, and free children's health screening which include vision, hearing and development.

Home Visits

The once or twice monthly home visits are tailored to the family's needs, preferences, and culture and also promote family engagement. Through home visiting we focus on the five protective factors: parental resilience, social connections, knowledge of parenting and child development, concrete support in times of need and social/emotional competence of children. This is accomplished through three main components of a home visit:

  1. Parent-child interactions - Families and their parent educator determine what activity will be brought each visit to help build the attachment and interaction of the parent and child.
  2. Developmental centered parenting- The PAT curriculum features seven developmental topics: attachment, discipline, health, nutrition, safety, sleep and transitions/routines. Developmental centered parenting happens when a parent understands and observes their child's developmental progress and adapt their parenting behaviors to meet their child's needs based on development.
  3. Family well-being- Families are not able to engage effectively with their child when the basic needs are not being met. Home visitors help the family by identifying needs, providing information, resources or ideas, but then empowering the family to decide what is important, who best can support them and what actions need to be taken to get their needs met and goals reached.

Visit the new Coalition website, or
Like the National Home Visiting Coalition's Facebook page.

Benefits of early childhood home visits

For more information

If you have a question or would like more information on the Parents as Teachers program, visit:

Holly Whitworth
Parent as Teachers Program Coordinator
Eastern Idaho Public Health
1250 Hollipark Drive
Idaho Falls, Idaho 83401
208-533-3194
Email: hwhitworth@eiph.idaho.gov

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