Welcome to the
Parents as Teachers Program

For enrollment information & questions please contact Jamie Fink, Coordinator, by e-mail at jfink@usd232.org  or 667-3512 ext. 5035.

Vision: All children will learn, grow and develop to realize their full potential.

Mission: To provide the information, support, and encouragement parents need to help their children develop optimally during the crucial early years of life.

Parents as Teachers (P.A.T.) is an international early childhood parent education and family support program serving families throughout pregnancy until their child's third birthday.

Components of the program include:

Personal Visits Certified Parent Educators provide individualized, strength based visits to families focussing on parent-child interaction, development centered parenting and family well being. Visits are scheduled approximately every 5 weeks and are about an hour in length. Families enrolled in De Soto Parents as Teachers receive three years of the PAT foundational curriculum.

Group Connections Monthly events for families provide opportunities for parents to acquire information about child development, parenting and positive parent-child interaction, while gaining support from each other. De Soto Parents as Teachers offers both adult only and parent/child events throughout the school year.

Screenings Screenings provide regular information about each child's health and developmental progress, increases parents' understanding of their child's development, and identifies strengths and abilities, as well as areas of concern. De Soto Parents as Teachers offers annual screenings to children enrolled in our program as well as other children birth-3 years in our school district. 

Resource Network The program connects families to needed resources and takes an active role in the community, establishing ongoing relationships with other institutions and organizations that serve families. PAT library resource materials listed on our site are available for check out at our playgroup site in room 305 at Mize Elementary School. If you are unable to check out resources during playgroup times, please call ahead to set up a time to visit.

Weekly Playgroups During the 2012-2013 school year, daytime and evening playgroups are being offered at Mize Elementary School  in Lenexa. Specific days and times of playgroup are listed on our calendar link.

Monthly Calendars Our online PAT calendars feature program activities. Parents enrolled in De Soto Parents as Teachers will receive an email with a new monthly calendar for parents to view and print off. Click on our calendar link to find out the latest family events and play groups taking place at De Soto Parents as Teachers.

Enrollment After enrolling, an email with our De Soto Parents as Teachers welcome letter and milestones for your child's age will be sent to you. Your enrollment information will be entered into our data base and email address book and your family will then be placed on a waiting list for personal visits. In order to match you with a Parent Educator, we would appreciate your best estimate of when you will be available for visits until your child is 3 years old. On the enrollment form please mark the time of day that you will be available for ONGOING visits.

New families are assigned a parent educator as families graduate the program. Your family will be contacted by a parent educator to receive personal visits according to the date of your registration. Due to the growth of our program, first time parents may receive visits sooner.

When you are paired up with a parent educator, she will contact you to schedule your first personal visit. All other components of our program (playgroup, family events, resource check out, screenings) are available to you at the time of enrollment. To enroll in the De Soto Parents as Teachers program please click on the enrollment form link.