Parents as Teachers, an Early Childhood Service, assists families who are pregnant or who have children ages six and under. We promote positive parenting, enhance child health and development, prevent child abuse and prepare children for kindergarten.
All of our services are free of charge. Services are for parents, foster/kinship parents, grandparents, and anyone else caring for children in their custody.
As a parent/caregiver in our nationally recognized, evidence-based program, you are supported by PAT-certified parent educators that follow the Foundational model and are trained to translate scientific information on early brain development into specific advice for your family. By understanding what to expect during each stage of development, you can easily capture the teachable moments in everyday life to enhance your child’s language development, intellectual growth, social development and motor skills.
You are your child’s first and most important teacher. We can help you give your child the best start in life.
Services
As a participating family, you receive all four components of our services:
1. Personal visits from your parent educator
- Receive age-appropriate child development and parenting information
- Learn to observe your child and recognize his or her needs
- Have your parenting concerns addressed
2. Parent/caregiver group meetings
- Share your struggles and triumphs
- Learn from other parents/caregivers
- Observe your child with other children
- Practice your parenting skills
3. Screenings
- We assess your child’s health, hearing and vision
- We assess your child’s overall development
- Language development
- Cognitive development
- Intellectual development
- Motor development
4. Network of resources
We link your family with services available in our community for:
- Economic, environmental, and personal problems
- Food, formula, and baby care items
- Housing
- Medical care for parents and children
- Counseling and psychiatric care
- Continuing education
- Employment
- Debt management and financial planning
- Self-sufficiency
- Family planning
Location
For your convenience, we provide our services in your home or in a community location.
Eligibility
All of our services are free of charge. Services are for parents, foster/kinship parents, grandparents, and anyone else caring for children in their custody. To participate, you must:
- Reside in Bucks County
- Have a child age six or under or be pregnant
Testimonials
- Parents as Teachers observed speech difficulties in both of our children at an early age, and we were able to get them help right away. We recommend this program to all parents.” – Theresa and Paul
- “Through Parents as Teachers, my two youngest daughters got off to a great start after their adoption from a foreign country. It helped both of them open up.” – Mary