Parents as Teachers Illinois State Office

Parents as Teacher F2 (3-Kindergarten) Overview
2025-11-14 09:00 - 10:30 (America/New_York)
This session will introduce the Parents as Teachers (PAT) Foundational 2 Curriculum, designed to support work with families of children ages 3–6. Participants will explore the similarities and differences between the Foundational Curriculum and Foundational 2, with a focus on the PAT approach, curriculum structure, and practical tools for effective visits. Together, we will examine strategies for integrating the Foundational Visit Plans, and/or Personal Visit Planning Guide into practice. Additional emphasis will be placed on new and expanded content in Foundational 2, including child development strands for ages 3–6, Spanish handouts and activity pages, fillable forms, embedded videos, and tools such as the Parenting Behaviors Hub. Participants will also consider methods for elevating the child’s perspective and supporting families with multiple-aged children.

Objectives:By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Compare and contrast the PAT Foundational and Foundational 2 Curricula, identifying key similarities and expanded focus areas in Foundational 2.

Apply the tools and resources within the Foundational 2 Curriculum—including visit plans, planning guides, family well-being resources, and embedded multimedia—to strengthen home visiting practices.

Integrate new strategies for addressing child development (ages 3–6), supporting families with multiple-aged children, and engaging parents using the Parenting Behaviors Hub and child perspective approach.

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Enhancing Parent-Child Interactions: Using PICCOLO™ to Support PAT Parenting Behaviors
2025-11-24 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-02-04 09:30 - 11:00, 2026-04-27 09:30 - 11:00
Learn how the PICCOLO™ tool aligns with Parents as Teachers (PAT) parenting behaviors to enhance your work with families. This session will provide insights into observing and supporting positive parent-child interactions, helping you strengthen families’ engagement and improve program outcomes by focusing on key parenting behaviors identified by PA

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Beyond the Fear: Parenting Through Immigration Uncertainty
2025-12-02 09:00 - 11:00
Join us for Beyond the Fear: Parenting through Immigration Uncertainty, a group Technical Assistance session focused on supporting families navigating the stress and fear surrounding deportation. Together, we’ll explore how these fears can manifest in young children—affecting their emotional well-being, development, and sense of safety—and discuss meaningful ways caregivers can help buffer these impacts. Participants will consider strategies to support families with empathy and awareness, while recognizing that the perceived threats they face are very real.

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New Supervisor Bootcamp
2025-12-03 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-01-07 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-02-04 10:00 - 11:00
Are you supervising a Parents as Teachers Affiliate program? Would you like to better understand requirements and best practices using the PAT home visiting model? Would you like a safe space to ask your questions and get support from others in a similar role?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, please consider joining the New PAT Supervisor Bootcamp. The group will meet the first Wednesday of each month from September through June. You are welcome to attend as many sessions as your schedule allows.

When – First Wednesday of the month:

September 3

October 1

November 5

December 3

January 7

February 4

No March session~ Spring Break

April 1

May 6

June 3

Questions? Please reach out to Teresa Duffey-Jimenez: tduffey@startearly.org or your TA!

Register Here

Using the Illinois Early Learning Guidelines to Support Visit Planning and Documentation
2025-12-04 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-02-09 09:30 - 11:30, 2026-05-11 10:00 - 12:00
The session will guide participants in effectively integrating the Illinois Early Learning Guidelines (IELG) into their home visit planning and documentation. Attendees will learn how to utilize the IELG to enhance Parent-Child Interactions and deepen Child Development Conversations, ensuring that visits are aligned with developmental goals. The session will also introduce strategies for using the IELG to promote meaningful and rich interactions between parents and their children, helping to foster stronger connections and developmental outcomes. By the end of the session, participants will have practical tools for incorporating the IELG into their visit planning and documentation to better support families.

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Safety Considerations and Home Visiting
2026-01-15 09:30 - 10:30
This session provides a foundational understanding of what it means to stay safe while supporting families in their homes and communities. Participants will examine why home visitor safety is essential to effective and ethical practice, explore the various types of safety considerations that arise in the field, and learn to identify common risk factors that may emerge during visits.

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More than a Checklist: Deepening Relationships Through Screening
2026-01-23 09:30 - 11:00, 2026-03-09 09:30 - 11:00
Explore how conversations can transform screenings from a task to a relationship-building experience that strengthens trust and partnership. Participants will learn how to use screening discussions to deepen family understanding of their child’s development and to enrich the connection between parent, child, and home visitor.

Objectives:

Introduce the purpose and process of developmental screening in a way that honors parents as experts on their child and centers what they see, value, and hope for in their child’s development.

Explore how to share screening data through curious, relationship-building conversations that deepen family understanding, strengthen the home visitor family partnership, and support parents’ connection to their child’s development.

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Group Connections: Bringing Families Together
2026-03-16 09:30 - 10:30
Dive deeper into how group connections support parents in interacting with their children in a setting outside of the home while engaging with other parents. PAT Essential Requirements and Quality standards will be reviewed along with types of Group Connections and the PAT Records. You will walk away with ideas for new and exciting Group Connections for your PAT Affiliate.

Objective: Understand the importance of Group Connections; Explore Essential Requirements and Quality Standards; Develop understanding of how Group Connections utilize the 3 areas of emphasis and Protective Factors; Discover new and exciting Group Connection ideas to use at their affiliate.

For questions, email kglow@startearly.org.

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Supporting Parent Only Visits
2026-03-24 13:00 - 14:30
Challenges that arise when serving families involved in the child welfare system. Through reflection and shared experiences, we will explore the critical role home visiting plays in supporting these families, fostering positive outcomes, and strengthening relationships.

Additionally, we will examine the three key areas of emphasis in a Parents as Teachers visit—parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting, and family well-being. Participants will collaborate to identify best practices for effectively integrating these focus areas while addressing the unique needs of families involved in child welfare. The session will provide practical strategies to enhance engagement, build trust, and promote family resilience within the home visiting framework.

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New Supervisor Bootcamp
2026-04-08 10:00 - 11:00
Are you supervising a Parents as Teachers Affiliate program? Would you like to better understand requirements and best practices using the PAT home visiting model? Would you like a safe space to ask your questions and get support from others in a similar role?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, please consider joining the New PAT Supervisor Bootcamp. The group will meet the first Wednesday of each month from September through June. You are welcome to attend as many sessions as your schedule allows.

When – First Wednesday of the month:

September 3

October 1

November 5

December 3

January 7

February 4

No March session~ Spring Break

April 8 – date change

May 7 – New date

June 3

Questions? Please reach out to Teresa Duffey-Jimenez: tduffey@startearly.org or your TA!

Register Here

Incorporating Literacy into Personal Visits
2026-04-13 10:00 - 11:00
In this session, we’ll explore how to extend Parent-Child Interaction through meaningful literacy activities. We’ll discuss why early literacy matters, how incorporating it supports model fidelity, and share practical resources and ideas to bring literacy into every personal visit.

Objectives:

Understand the importance of early literacy in supporting child development.

Learn how incorporating literacy activities strengthens PCI and supports model fidelity.

Discover practical resources and strategies to integrate literacy into personal visits.

Register

New Supervisor Bootcamp
2026-05-07 10:00 - 11:00
Are you supervising a Parents as Teachers Affiliate program? Would you like to better understand requirements and best practices using the PAT home visiting model? Would you like a safe space to ask your questions and get support from others in a similar role?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, please consider joining the New PAT Supervisor Bootcamp. The group will meet the first Wednesday of each month from September through June. You are welcome to attend as many sessions as your schedule allows.

When – First Wednesday of the month:

September 3

October 1

November 5

December 3

January 7

February 4

No March session~ Spring Break

April 1

May 7 – New Date

June 3

Questions? Please reach out to Teresa Duffey-Jimenez: tduffey@startearly.org or your TA!

Register Here
