The directors of the Jasper, Marion, and Poweshiek Early Childhood Iowa Area Board (JMP ECI), has announced a new collaboration with Short Years Partnership to provide Parents as Teachers (PAT) home visitation services to families in Jasper and Marion Counties.

The JMP ECI is a tri-county collaboration to support children under the age of five and their families. Parents as Teachers was started in Missouri in 1984 with the goal of supporting parents to better prepare their children for school and support overall healthy development. The program is relationship-focused, helping build healthy relationships between parent and child and between parent and PAT educator, to ensure children achieve their full potential. Through regular home visits, a parent educator offers personalized support to young children and their families by focusing on developmental milestones, family goal setting, and connecting families to additional services as needed. The Parents as Teachers program is available at no cost to qualified families in the service area with a child aged birth through kindergarten entry. 

Families that are interested in learning more about Parents as Teachers can contact Short Years Partnership at info@shortyears.org. Persons interested in applying to become a parent educator can learn more at www.shortyears.org.