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Parents as Teachers (PAT)

NameParents as Teachers (PAT)
Target AudienceAt-risk or vulnerable Pregnant women, Parents and Carers of Children aged 0-3
CfC ObjectiveSupporting Families and Parents
• Healthy Young Families
• Early Learning
OrganisationFamily Support Network Inc.
Delivery SettingHome Visitation Program
Description

A Home visitation program that focuses on five core competencies:
 

  • Family support and parenting education
  • Child and Family development
  • Human diversity within family systems
  • Health safety and nutrition
  • Relationships between families and communities

Parents as Teachers (PAT) is an early childhood parent education, family support and well-being, and school readiness home visiting model based on the premise that "all children will learn, grow, and develop to realise their full potential."

Implementation and delivery
  • Based on theories of human ecology, empowerment, self-efficacy, attribution, and developmental parenting, PAT involves the training and certification of parent educators who work with families using a comprehensive online curriculum. Parent educators work with parents to strengthen protective factors and ensure that young children are healthy, safe, and ready to learn.

    The aims of PAT are to:
     
  • Support and increase parent knowledge and behaviour - improving and strengthening relationships within families
  • Enhance observation skills
  • Increase parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve parenting practices
  • Early detection of developmental delays and health issues
  • Techniques to prevent child abuse and neglect
  • Increase children’s school readiness and school success
Delivered toParents and carers anywhere in Australia.
Delivered byTrained family support workers, community workers, psychologists, early childhood workers, supported playgroup facilitators, child protection case managers, Maternal Child Health Nurses.
Program StructureTraining consists of 3 days of Foundational Training for Parent Educators.
TrainingIn person training is required. For more details please contact Family Support Network sarah@fsn.org.au
CostFor costs of the program please contact Family Support Network sarah@fsn.org.au
Contact

Phone: 02 66212489 ( Ask for Sarah)

Email: sarah@fsn.org.au

Website: fsn.org.au/parents-as-teachers/

Evaluation and effectivenessMultiple RCTs and peer reviewed studies.
Summary of relevant evidence can be found here: Parents as Teachers – An Evidence-Based Home Visiting Model: gParents as Teachers Information Resource https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56be46a6b6aa60dbb45e41a5/t/5c7002f8f9619a60f3ca2275/1550844667041/PAT_EBHVM.pdf

• Carroll, L., Smith, S., & Thomson, N. (2015). Parents as Teachers Health Literacy Demonstration Project: Integrating an Empowerment Model of Health Literacy Promotion Into Home-Based Parent Education. Health Promotion Practice, 16(2), 282-290.

• Chaiyachati, B., Gaither, J., Hughes, M., Foley-Schain, K., & Leventhal, J. (2018). Preventing child maltreatment: Examination of an established statewide homevisiting program. Journal of Child Abuse and Neglect, 49:476-484.

• Wagner M, Spiker D, Linn MI. (2002) The effectiveness of the Parents as Teachers program with low-income parents and children. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 22(2), 67-81.

• Wagner M. (2001) The Multisite evaluation of the Parents as Teachers Home Visiting Program: Summary of findings for Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.

• Wagner MM, Clayton SL. (1999) The Parents as Teachers program: Results from two demonstrations. The Future of Children, 91-115.

A History of Australian Evaluation of PAT can be found here: webarchive.nla.gov.au/wayback/20140126190734

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