About Us
Parents as Teachers (PAT) is a program designed to promote the early development, learning, and health of children to you, the parent. From birth through kindergarten, parents are equipped with knowledge and resources to prepare their child for a stronger start in life and greater success in school. PAT programs operate in various settings, including schools, hospitals, faith-based organizations and housing communities, and meet during personal visits and in larger groups, to be as welcoming and accessible as possible. For more national information, check out the fact sheets on PAT’s impact on health and PAT’s evidence-based model.
COVID-19 Update
The National PAT office will be changing the Virtual Service Delivery Guidance effective immediately to include telecommunications visits (delivered under specific parameters)during this national health crisis. Virtual Service Delivery will now have two aspects: Interactive Video Conferencing (IVC) and Telecommunications Visits. Telecommunication visits must include: the three areas of emphasis, delivering substantial information, reflection to count as a personal visit. This is not something we are entering into lightly and after numerous conversations with many of you and others, we are confident this is the right decision for our model in these turbulent trying times. Our vision is that all children will grow, learn and develop to the best of their ability. We will help families stay engaged in our programs by widening our guidance on virtual delivery for this limited time.Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
Wendy Schwalbe
PAT State Leader
schwalbw@uwm.edu
(414) 315-7357
Affiliates
Numerous PAT affiliations are located around the state of Wisconsin. These organizations go above and beyond to provide the best trainings possible for new and current parents. Please refer to our Wisconsin Affiliate Locations Guide for contact information and more PAT resources. For more information relating to the national Parents as Teachers calendar, programs, or further involvement, please refer to the national Parents as Teachers website.
Resources
The Resource Toolkit for Home Visiting and other Early Childhood Professionals contains articles, webinars, websites, books and face-to-face training opportunities on a variety of topics including child development, child health and safety, parenting, and skills for working with families. The national Parents as Teachers website also has a wealth of resources.
Contact
For additional information about the Parents as Teachers program, please contact:
Wendy Schwalbe
Home Visiting National Model Specialist
Milwaukee Child Welfare Partnership
Helen Bader School of Social Welfare
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
P: 414-315-7357
E: schwalbw@uwm.edu