Parents as Teachers (PAT)
Parents as Teachers (PAT) is a voluntary early childhood parent education and family support program that begins at or before birth and continues until kindergarten. Educators visit parents’ homes to teach them about early childhood development and promote effective parenting strategies. The program also includes developmental screenings of children, parent group meetings, and a resource network that links families with community resources (RAND-Karoly 2005).
What could this strategy improve?
Expected Benefits
Our evidence rating is based on the likelihood of achieving these outcomes:
- Improved cognitive skills
- Increased school readiness
- Improved child development
Potential Benefits
Our evidence rating is not based on these outcomes, but these benefits may also be possible:
- Improved parenting
- Increased health literacy
What does the research say about effectiveness? -+
There is some evidence that Parents as Teachers (PAT) improves cognitive skills and school readiness among children from families with low incomes (YG-PAT, Welsh 2014, PPN). PAT can also have positive effects on child development (Avellar 2013). Additional evidence is needed to confirm effects.
PAT can increase children’s cognitive skills in some circumstances, especially among families with lower incomes (PPN). For example, children from families with low incomes who participate in PAT show higher cognitive development scores than non-participating peers at 24 months old. Some studies suggest significant gains in child development for children in certain groups, such as those in Latino families who primarily speak Spanish, or under specific circumstances, for example, families who receive intensive services (Welsh 2014). PAT can also increase children’s school readiness (PPN), both by improving parenting skills and helping parents enroll their children in preschool. By increasing school readiness for children in low income families, PAT can help reduce disparities in academic outcomes (Zigler 2008).
Implementing PAT via parent educators who have received empowerment training can improve maternal health literacy (Carroll 2015). Overall, however, PAT has not demonstrated effects on participants’ health care use or coverage (Avellar 2013).
Training for PAT parent educators costs $700 to $800 (PAT). Overall costs may vary by program intensity.
Implementation Examples -+
There are Parents as Teachers (PAT) affiliates in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., as well as Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (PAT). PAT has offices in 24 states and offers training around the nation (US DHHS ACF-PAT).
PAT is an approved model for federal home visiting programs. Funds from the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program are being used in 29 states to implement or expand use of the PAT model (OPRE-Michalopoulos 2015).
Implementation Resources -+
PAT - Parents as Teachers (PAT).
Citations -+
* Journal subscription may be required for access.
Avellar 2013 - Avellar SA, Supplee LH. Effectiveness of home visiting in improving child health and reducing child maltreatment. Pediatrics. 2013;132(Suppl 2):S90–S99.
Carroll 2015* - Carroll LN, Smith SA, Thomson NR. Parents as Teachers Health Literacy Demonstration project: Integrating an empowerment model of health literacy promotion into home-based parent education. Health Promotion Practice. 2015;16(2):282–290.
OPRE-Michalopoulos 2015 - Michalopoulos C, Lee H, Duggan A, et al. The Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation: Early findings on the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program: A report to Congress. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (U.S. DHHS), Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF); 2015.
PAT - Parents as Teachers (PAT).
PPN - Promising Practices Network (PPN). On children, families and communities.
RAND-Karoly 2005 - Karoly LA, Kilburn MR, Cannon JS. Early childhood interventions: Proven results, future promise. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation; 2005: Monograph Report 341.
US DHHS ACF-PAT - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (U.S. DHHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Home visiting evidence of effectiveness: Implementing Parents as Teachers (PAT) program model overview.
Welsh 2014 - Welsh JA, Bierman KL, Mathis ET. Parenting programs that promote school readiness. In Boivin M, Bierman KL, eds. Promoting School Readiness and Early Learning: The Implications of Developmental Research for Practice. New York: Guilford Press; 2014:253-278.
YG-PAT - Youth.gov (YG), Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP). Parents as Teachers (PAT).
Zigler 2008* - Zigler E, Pfannenstiel JC, Seitz V. The Parents as Teachers program and school success: A replication and extension. Journal of Primary Prevention. 2008;29(2):103-20.