Program Helps Caretakers Become Better Parents

Sign up for the Cartersville Patch newsletter!

---

Cartersville, GA -- Advocates for Children has expanded their services by adding Parents as Teachers (PAT) initiative.

The program targets prenatal mothers and families who have children that enter the program before their third birthday.

Parents as Teachers is an early childhood home visitation program “designed to help families learn more about parenting, support their child’s development and help with the challenges of family life,” the Cartersville-based organization said in a press release.

Included in the two-year curriculum are personal visits focusing on developmental-centered parenting, parent-child interaction and family well-being.

“Advocates for Children was selected to receive the grant because we have a well-established agency able to handle the additional requirements of an added program,” said Liz Fox, director of Parents as Teachers. “Our county was selected because we have indicators of need in the community which included birth outcomes, poverty level and levels of child abuse/neglect. Parents as Teachers is a prevention program so the participants often do not have a history with social services agencies in the community.”

Gatherings called “Group Connections” give families the opportunity to meet other families and share experiences. In addition, resource networking acquaints families with the many opportunities in our community based on their interest and needs.

Parents as Teachers is fully funded through a grant from the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, Office of Prevention and Family Support, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration for Children and Families.

There is no cost for participants, and anyone can make a referral to the program. Criteria to participate in the program includes prenatal mothers and families who have children that enter the program before their third birthday.

“There are 25 programs like ours in the state of Georgia,” Fox added. “We are honored to be one of the few sites in the state to be selected for this grant program and be able to offer these services to the families in our community.”

The Parents as Teachers office is located at 105 Douglas Street in Cartersville.

For more information about Advocates for Children or Parents as Teachers, visit www.AdvoChild.org, call Fox at 770-606-8578 or email HIYHintake@AdvoChild.org.

---

Image via Advocates For Children