PHD receives national recognition
Parents as Teachers team from left: Kim Young (division administrator), Becky Schoonmaker (parent educator), Katelyn Miller (parent educator), Kaila Wilhelmi (parent educator) and Kris Kono (nurse home visitor manager).
Courtesy of Panhandle Health District
Panhandle Health District’s Parents as Teachers program has been endorsed by the program's National Center as a Blue Ribbon Affiliate — making it one of the top-performing home visiting affiliates within Parents as Teachers’ international network, according to a press release.
Parents as Teachers is an internationally recognized evidence-based home visiting model "backed by more than 40 years of research-proven outcomes for children and families," the press release reads. Parents as Teachers operates in various settings, including health departments and hospitals.
Being named a Blue Ribbon Affiliate affirms that Panhandle Health's Parents as Teachers program is a high-quality member of the home visiting field, implementing the Parents as Teachers model with commitment, according to the press release.
The program includes home visits with a trained education specialist, parent and guardian group connections, child developmental screening and connections to community resources.
“To earn the Blue Ribbon Endorsement, we underwent a rigorous self-study and review process from the National Center. The process confirms that we are meeting Parents as Teachers’ standards of fidelity and quality,” said Kristine Kono, PHD Parents as Teachers nurse manager.