By Beth Christian
Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
PARSONS – According to Tucker County Family Resource Network Director April Miller, one of the goals of the organization has been meeting the needs of early childhood in Tucker County, and a program that
falls under the FRN is not only meeting the needs of those in Tucker County, but recently has expanded its scope to cover Randolph and Barbour counties – an expansion they are very proud to offer.
“It’s always been a mission of ours, especially because we do not have child care centers in the county,” Miller said. The program is the Allegheny Highlands Parents as Teachers and it is for families with children up to the age of five. Recent federal funding has allowed the program to not only serve those in Tucker County, but also Randolph and Barbour. There are offices in each county FRN Offices.
Angie Davis serves as the program director for the Allegheny Highlands Parents as Teachers. “Recent federal funding has allowed us to expand,” Davis said. “The funds come from Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visitation. It is actually coming from the national level and is attached to the Affordable Care Act.”
Davis said the Parents as Teachers program in Tucker County began eight years ago. “I had a friend in Greenbrier County and she said we needed to adopt the program,” Davis said. “She introduced us to the state leader at the time. We received some funding and I traveled to Cincinnati and was trained in the Parents as Teachers curriculum and started picking up families a few at a time.” Davis said the Allegheny Highlands Parents as Teachers currently has 10 parent educators or home visitors. “They go to the home and do age appropriate developmental trainings and assessment to make sure children are on target. If children are in need of additional services, we can make a referral.”
The Parents as Teachers program is a family wrap around service, and Davis said if a parent wants to earn their GED, they can help them find the resources to do that.
“We deal with big issues, such as mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, CPS cases – they are not all that way and that is the beauty of the program,” Davis said. “Some are just normal, everyday people. There are no income guidelines limiting this program so it is for everybody.”
Miller said the amazing thing about the Tucker County Parents as Teachers program is that it started in Tucker County
