About PAT

Parents as Teachers (PAT) 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 achievement through parent education accessible to all families.  Through four core components of home visitation, group meetings, developmental screenings and resource and referral the program: 

• Increases parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve parenting practices
• Provides early detection of developmental delays and health issues
• Prevents child abuse and neglect
• Increases children's school readiness and school success

The Parents as Teachers curriculum content is based on current research in the areas of child development and neuroscience. The curriculum and training address what reliable research has identified as the essential components of school readiness.

The first Pennsylvania funded PAT programs were implemented in 1992 by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in 13 family centers. In 2006, PAT is being used by over 90 programs statewide to provide research based, child development and parenting education to 9,897 children and 7,989 families in the Commonwealth. In PA, the PAT model is used in a variety of settings including family centers, Head Start and Early Head Start, Even Start, ELECT, child care, Children’s Trust Fund, grant and foundation funded programs, faith-based and hospital sponsored programs and county Children & Youth agencies. The 2006-2007 Born to Learn™ Annual Program Report Summary illustrates the reach and impact of PAT in Pennsylvania.

Contracted by the Pennsylvania Parent Information and Resource Center (PA PIRC) the Center for Schools and Communities maintains the State Systems Office for Parents as Teachers in Pennsylvania.  As the state office, CSC is responsible to develop, support, and sustain high quality PAT programs by promoting fidelity to the PAT model, supporting comprehensive, high quality services for all families, overseeing and guiding programs to achieve the PAT outcomes, and expanding the reach of PAT in the state.

The CSC maintains a qualified, experienced state training team and regularly sponsors institute training in both the Parents as Teachers Born to Learn™ Prenatal to 3 Years and 3 to Kindergarten Entrance curriculum.  A variety of other specialized trainings are offered throughout the year including Advanced Supervision, Ages and Stages, Issues in Working with Teen Parents and Supporting Families of Children with Special Needs.