The Mineral County Parents as Teachers program successfully completes the Quality Endorsement and Improvement process with the Parents as Teachers national office

The Parents as Teachers Program run through the Mineral County Health Department earned a prestigious endorsement by Parents as Teachers national center as a Blue Ribbon Affiliate, making it one of the top performing early education and home visiting affiliates within the international Parents as Teachers network. The official designation was made on October 1, 2017.

Being named a Blue Ribbon Affiliate affirms that Mineral County’s Parents as Teachers Program is a high-quality member of the home visitation and parent education field, implementing the evidence-based Parents as Teachers model with fidelity. Program Supervisor Jenn Donovan explained that families in Mineral County are positively impacted by the services delivered by this program, which include home visits, group connections, child screening and connections to community resources, equipping parents with knowledge and resources to prepare their children for a stronger start in life and greater success in school.

To earn this recognition, over the past year the staff including: Jenn Donovan, Laura Acker, Janet Smith and April Quinlan, completed the intensive Quality Endorsement and Improvement process through the Parents as Teachers national center. The Mineral County Program demonstrated that it meets all of the Parents as Teachers Essential Requirements and at least 75 percent of the Parents as Teachers Quality Standards. The designation as a Blue Ribbon Affiliate is good for five years, until September 30, 2022 as long as the program continues to meet the Essential Requirements.

The Quality Endorsement and Improvement Process is designed to help ensure and recognize quality implementation of the Parents as Teachers model, which is used in more than 1,300 organizations including schools, family resource centers, social service agencies, housing authorities, churches, and healthcare systems.

The national office of Parents as Teachers praised the Mineral County Program for a well-developed infrastructure; employment of a capable and dedicated staff; and for its dedication to providing valuable local services to families.

“Locally we strive to reach the vision that all children will learn, grow and develop to realize their full potential. Our visitors create customized plans, directed by participating parents, to meet the individual needs of each family and child,“ stated Donovan.

The Mineral County Parents as Teachers Program started five years ago. The program can serve up to 40 children from prenatal to kindergarten entry. The program is currently enrolling families. For information about the Parents as Teachers Program call 822-3564.