Parents as Teachers (PAT) is a home-visiting parent education program that teaches new and expectant parents skills to promote positive child development and prevent child maltreatment. PAT offers services to parents with children up to age 5 with the goal of increasing parental knowledge of early childhood development, improving parenting practices, promoting early detection of developmental delays and health issues, preventing child abuse and neglect, and increasing school readiness and success. The PAT model includes four core components: personal home visits, supportive group-connection events, child health and developmental screenings, and community resource networks. PAT is rated as a well-supported practice by the Title IV- E Prevention Services Clearinghouse. The following resources offer additional information on PAT and its effectiveness.
Implementing Parents as Teachers (PAT)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (2019)
Reviews implementation support for the Parents as Teachers home-visiting model through the Parents as Teachers National Center, which provides guidance, training, and technical assistance and advocates for the program at the State and national level. The website also describes the theoretical model for the program, outlines the target population, discusses outcomes, and presents model components.
Parents as Teachers
Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse (2019)
Describes the Parents as Teachers home-visiting parent education program for new and expectant parents that gives them the skills and knowledge they need to promote positive child development and prevent child maltreatment. The program is rated a well-supported practice by the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse.
Parents as Teachers
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (2019)
Presents an intervention summary of Parents as Teachers (PAT), an early childhood family support and parent education home-visiting model. An overview of the model precedes a discussion of related research and outcomes. Dissemination and cost information associated with PAT materials and services is also reviewed.
Parents as Teachers: An Evidence-Based Home Visiting Model (PDF - 3,052 KB)
Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc. (2020)
Offers an overview of the evidence-based home visiting model, Parents as Teachers, which promotes the healthy early development of children by supporting and engaging their parents and caregivers to strengthen protective factors for families and prevent child maltreatment. The resource describes the evidence-base for the program, presents the guiding theoretical framework, reviews results, and more.
Parents as Teachers Research Bibliography (PDF - 243 KB)
Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc. (2019)
Presents a research bibliography for the Parents as Teachers evidence-based home visiting program, which includes peer reviewed publications related to outcomes research, qualitative research, and related research as well as non-peer reviewed publications and unpublished reports.
Recent Research Findings
Parents as Teachers
Discusses recent research related to the Parents as Teachers evidence-based home visiting program and includes two recent studies that look at the impact of the program on primary and secondary prevention of child abuse and neglect. This section of the website also highlights the ZEPPELIN Study, an international study from Switzerland that examined the impact of the Parents as Teachers program on high-risk families with children age 3 and under.