The Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Family Center has earned Blue Ribbon Affiliate status from the Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc. (PATNC). This status makes the Family Center one of the top performing home visiting affiliates within the PATNC international network, said District 65 in a prepared statement. The Family Center serves qualifying Evanston and Skokie families that have children ranging in age from birth to three years-old.
The goal of the Family Center is to equip parents with the knowledge and resources needed to prepare their children for a stronger start in life and greater success in their academic careers. Its services include home visits, group connections that help families build social connections with one another and focus on parent-child interaction, child screenings, and connections to community resources.
The Family Center currently serves 31 students and has conducted approximately 1,209 home visits for 2020 school year.
“To earn the Blue Ribbon Affiliate status, the program underwent a rigorous self-study and review process from the National Center,” said Xiomara Alfaro Mayen, District 65’s Early Start Program Supervisor. “The process confirms that we are meeting Parents as Teachers’ standards of fidelity and quality.” In addition to the completion of the self-study and review process, affiliates must also have at least 75 of the 100 quality standards displayed by the organization to earn the reputable accomplishment. Being named a Blue Ribbon Affiliate affirms that the D65 Family Center is a high-quality member of the home visiting field, implementing the evidence-based Parents as Teachers model with fidelity. In addition, families within the D65 community are positively impacted by the services delivered by this program.”
The Family Center’s Managing Director, Angela Johnson, said “[District 65’s Family Center] gives 100% of their effort to supporting families and it is great to have their work validated and recognized by Parents as Teachers National Center. It is also wonderful to know that we are doing our part in helping the Evanston community reach its goals of Every Child Ready for Kindergarten.”
The mission of Parents as Teachers (PAT) is to promote the optimal early development, learning and health of children by supporting and engaging their parents and caregivers.