ST. LOUIS, MO, March 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
American Rescue Plan Sends Emergency Assistance to
Families Through Home Visiting Program
Parents as Teachers (PAT) and other evidence-based home visiting programs operating through the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) will soon be receiving $150 million in emergency aid to support families and parent educators impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
PAT is a 36-year-old non-profit whose home visiting professionals partner with parents and child and family-serving organizations to improve early development, learning, and health outcomes for children while strengthening families through parent education programs.
“While home visitors have been able to triage support and resources for families, the list of participants’ needs continues to grow,” said Constance Gully, President and CEO of Parents as Teachers. “With the additional resources for MIECHV, PAT, and other evidence-based programs will be better equipped to provide appropriate, individualized, and creative supports to meet families immediate and emerging needs.
“While we serve diverse communities, essential reinforcements include technology to support virtual home visiting, diapers and wipes, food, and more. We are incredibly thankful to our MIECHV advocates in Congress for their support for home visiting,” Gully said.
Amid the dynamic and rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic response, home visitors have continued to serve as a trusted resource for families who already faced complex needs pre-pandemic, most of whom are coping with much more acute challenges now.
Gully said with this multiplier effect, families’ needs have increased requests for support and applications for assistance, including safe and secure housing and safe transportation, and securing necessities such as diapers and emergency food, health care, technology, and household supplies.
“Home visiting programs have adapted to become a central resource to meeting families’ essential needs and providing access to information and resources during the pandemic and as they undertake the arduous path of recovery,” she said.
About Parents as Teachers
Parents as Teachers (PAT) builds healthy communities, thriving families, and children that are healthy, safe, and ready to learn. It matches parents and caregivers with trained professionals who make regular personal home visits during a child’s earliest years in life, from pregnancy through kindergarten. The internationally-recognized evidence-based home visiting model is backed by 35 years of research-proven outcomes for children and families. PAT currently serves nearly 200,000 families in all 50 U.S. states, 115 Tribal organizations, six other countries, and one U.S. territory. Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc., is a non-profit organization headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.