Parents as Teachers is an early childhood parent education and support program.  It is a free and voluntary program offered through the Lamar County School District for families residing in Lamar County with children ages birth to five.  In the first few years, children learn more and at a faster pace than at any other time in life.  You help shape your child's future through the kinds of experiences you provide.  Your baby was born to learn, and as a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher.

Parents as Teachers is here to help you!  Parents are supported by Certified Parent Educators trained to help you understand what to expect during each stage of your child's development, which helps you capture the teachable moments in everyday life to enhance a child's language development, intellectual growth, social development, and motor skills.

As a Parents as Teachers family, you receive:

• Personal visits - during which your parent educator will share age-appropriate child development and parenting information, help you learn to observe your child, and address your parenting concerns.
• Parent group meetings - which are opportunities to share information about parenting issues and child development.  Parents learn and support each other, observe their children with other children, and practice parenting skills.
• Screenings - to assess your child's language development, intellectual growth, social development, and motor skills.  Milestones are monitored in order to identify any potential concern before it becomes an obstacle to your child's development.
• Resource network - that link your family to other community services.
• Parent resource center - to checkout educational materials, such as toys, books, and manipulatives to use at home.