Parents as Teachers Illinois State Office

Virtual Foundational and Model Implementation Training
2025-07-14 10:00 - 2025-07-25 12:00, 2025-06-02 10:00 - 2025-06-13 12:00, 2025-05-05 10:00 - 2025-05-16 12:00, 2025-03-31 10:00 - 2025-04-11 12:00, 2025-03-03 10:00 - 2025-03-14 12:00 (America/New_York)
This 40-hour certification training is designed for Parents as Teachers affiliate staff who will implement the Parents as Teachers evidence-based model to support families whose children are prenatal to three years of age. In addition to the Foundational Training content and access to the Foundational Curriculum, this course offers implementation strategies and resources to effectively deliver quality Parents as Teachers services. Learners can expect a combination of self-paced online modules and live, online sessions Successful completion results in PAT model certification.

Virtual Foundational Training
2025-07-14 10:00 - 2025-07-22 12:00, 2025-06-02 10:00 - 2025-06-10 12:00, 2025-05-05 10:00 - 2025-05-13 12:00, 2025-03-31 10:00 - 2025-04-08 12:00, 2025-03-03 10:00 - 2025-03-11 12:00 (America/New_York)
This robust digital parenting curriculum organizes all the materials needed to provide visits to families whose children are prenatal to three years old. Visit plans, professional resources, activity pages, and parent handouts are available in English and Spanish. Some parent-facing materials are alsoavailable in additional languages. The accompanying 30-hour virtual certification training prepares home visiting professionals to use the Foundational Curriculum in service delivery, and to understand their roleswithin the Parents as Teachers approach. Learners can expect a combination of self-paced online modules and live, online sessions.

Nurturing Resilience: A Real Self-Care Book Study
2025-06-30 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-05-19 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Series Overview: This technical assistance (TA) series is designed to guide participants through an exploration of self-care practices, using Real Self-Care as a foundation for discussion and reflection. Through interactive sessions, participants will gain insights into redefining self-care, setting meaningful boundaries, and cultivating self-compassion in their personal and professional lives.

Structure: The series will be conducted over multiple sessions, each focusing on key themes from the book. Sessions will include guided discussions, personal reflection activities, and actionable goal-setting to encourage lasting change.

Objectives:

Provide a reflective space to examine self-care practices.

Discuss the book Real Self Care by Dr. Pooja Lakshmin.

Set personal intentions around setting boundaries and self-compassion.

Who Should Participate: This series is open to home visiting professionals, program staff, and leadership seeking to enhance their self-care practices and promote a healthier work-life balance.

Expected Outcomes: By the end of the series, participants will have a deeper understanding of what real self-care entails, along with practical tools to implement meaningful change in their personal and professional lives. They will leave with a personalized self-care plan that prioritizes boundaries and self-compassion.

For more information on this book, here is an interview with the author: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVByk41dha8

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New Supervisor Bootcamp
2025-06-11 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-05-21 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-04-09 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-03-12 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Are you new to supervising a Parents as Teachers Affiliate program? Would you like to better understand requirements and best practices from the Parents as Teachers model and from your funder? Would you like a safe space to ask your questions and get support from others in your same boat? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, please consider joining the new PAT Supervisors Onboarding Group. The group will meet one Wednesday each month from January- June 2025. You are welcome to attend as many sessions as your schedule allows.

To join this TA session, join here.

End of Year Data and Feedback
2025-06-02 09:30 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
In this session, we will review the Parents as Teachers Parent Satisfaction Survey, the ISBE Parent Questionnaire, and the ISBE Parent Outcomes Questionnaire. We’ll explore the guidance provided for each tool and discuss meaningful ways to leverage the opportunities these data collections offer. Our focus will be on using the insights to support growth and learning while meeting both funder expectations and model fidelity requirements.

Objectives:

Understand the purpose, structure, and guidance associated with the Parents as Teachers Parent Satisfaction Survey, the ISBE Parent Questionnaire, and the ISBE Parent Outcomes Questionnaire.

Identify meaningful strategies to utilize data from these tools to support program improvement, enhance family engagement, and meet both funder expectations and model fidelity requirements.

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Supporting Parents that are Co-Parenting
2025-05-29 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-05-15 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
Co-parenting presents unique challenges and opportunities for families, requiring intentional strategies to foster positive relationships and prioritize children’s well-being. In this session, participants will explore ways to support parents navigating co-parenting dynamics, focusing on communication, collaboration, and child-centered decision-making.

Through discussion and practical techniques, affiliates will:

Explore strategies to increase positive co-parenting, fostering mutual respect and cooperation.

Learn practical approaches to help parents remain child-focused, even in challenging co-parenting situations.

Gain techniques to empower parents with cooperation skills that promote healthy and effective co-parenting relationships.

This session will equip PAT professionals with tools to guide families in building strong, supportive co-parenting partnerships that enhance children’s stability and development.

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Supporting Transitions for Children and Families
2025-05-22 09:00 - 10:30 (America/New_York)
In this session, participants will explore the importance of transition planning in supporting families and the vital role home visitors play in this process. Attendees will learn strategies to guide, support, and empower families as they navigate transitions, ensuring they are equipped with the tools and knowledge to make a positive impact

Objectives: Explore the importance of transition planningDiscuss the role of the home visitor in the transition planning processProvide an opportunity to make direct connections to practice

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Enhancing Parent-Child Interactions: Using PICCOLO™ to Support PAT Parenting Behaviors
2025-04-23 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
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 PAT.

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ISBE Prevention Initiative Forum
2025-04-02 11:00 - 2025-04-03 12:30 (America/New_York)
Champaign, IL

Using the Illinois Early Guidelines to Support Visit Planning and Documentation
2025-03-27 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
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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Using Screening Results to Support Goal Setting
2025-03-20 09:00 - 10:30 (America/New_York)
This group technical assistance session focuses on reflecting on how screening results can be used to support learning about parenting hopes and plans for their child’s development. Participants will revisit the PAT Screening Summary and goal-setting resources, exploring ways to align these tools with family aspirations. Additionally, the session will provide a review of SMART goals, ensuring that developmental objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound, fostering effective planning and meaningful outcomes for families.

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Supporting Parent Only Visits
2025-03-17 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
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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Early Childhood Advocacy Day
2025-03-04 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Chicago)
Springfield, IL

Virtual Foundational 2
2025-02-24 13:00 - 2025-02-28 15:00 (America/New_York)
Built upon the prenatal to three years curriculum, this digital parenting curriculum organizes all the materials needed to provide visits to families whose children are three to six years of age. Professional resources are available in English with activity pages and parent handouts in both English and Spanish. The accompanying 16-hour certification training is designed to prepare parent educators and other home visiting professionals for using the Foundational 2 Curriculum in services to families whose children are between three to six years of age. Learners can expect a combination of self-paced online modules and live, online sessions.

Finding the Value of the Personal Visit Record
2025-02-24 09:00 - 10:30 (America/New_York)
This TA session provides a collaborative space to revisit and explore the Personal Visit Record in detail. Participants will engage with each section of the document, gaining clarity on its purpose and application. The session includes hands-on practice in recording parent-child interactions and child development observations, ensuring participants feel confident in accurately documenting these key aspects of early childhood development.

Register Here

New Supervisor Bootcamp
2025-02-05 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Are you new to supervising a Parents as Teachers Affiliate program? Would you like to better understand requirements and best practices from the Parents as Teachers model and from your funder? Would you like a safe space to ask your questions and get support from others in your same boat? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, please consider joining the new PAT Supervisors Onboarding Group. The group will meet one Wednesday each month from January- June 2025. You are welcome to attend as many sessions as your schedule allows.

Register Here

Enhancing Parent-Child Interactions: Using PICCOLO™ to Support PAT Parenting Behaviors
2025-02-04 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
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 PAT.

To register, please email janderson@startearly.org
