The Parenting Cottage, one of Lubbock Area United Way’s 23 Community Partners, was awarded Blue Ribbon status by the Parents as Teachers National Center for their local Parents as Teachers (PAT) home visitation program.
To earn Blue Ribbon status, PAT affiliates undergo a rigorous self-study and national review process to confirm they meet Parents as Teachers’ standards of fidelity and quality. Blue Ribbon affiliates are exemplary programs, delivering high quality services to children and families.
“Home visitation takes learning into the homes of families, teaching parents to be their child's first and most important teacher,” said Carla Olson, The Parenting Cottage Executive Director.
The goal of PAT is to provide parents with child development knowledge and parenting support, provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, prevent child abuse and neglect, and increase school readiness.
Your gifts to United Way provide funding for this program, empowering Lubbock County families. There is no charge to participating families.
The Parenting Cottage provides biweekly personal visits, parent/child group meetings, screenings, resource networking, and helps children with school readiness. They work with families from the onset of pregnancy to kindergarten entry.
“When we can match parents and children with trained professionals - from birth on - we can achieve the most desirable results for our children," said Olson.
The Parenting Cottage is one of 101 PAT affiliates awarded this high distinction in the field of evidence-based home visiting. The new Blue Ribbon affiliates will be formally recognized on October 11th at the 2018 Parents as Teachers International Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. A list of all Blue Ribbon affiliates is available on the national PAT website.