Hammond Parents As Teachers Program
BACKGROUND:
Parents as Teachers (PAT) of Lake County, Inc. was originally founded through a partnership with the City of Hammond, Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers (SMMHC), and the School City of Hammond. Since its inception in the year 2000, the Hammond Parents as Teachers program has grown quickly, serving 46 families with 49 children in our first year to currently providing monthly services for over 260 children. With an average participant retention rate of 70% each year, we have reached more than 500 families over the past seven years, and have over 80 children on our waiting list, eager to join the program.
As the Hammond/Lake County program has grown, we have collaborated with other entities in the community to implement several specialized program components to better meet the needs of all families. These projects include:
- A Teens As Parents (TAPS) program, designed to meet the unique needs of pregnant and parenting teenagers
- Specialized training and curriculum for Spanish Speaking families and families of Children with Special Needs
- The Northwest Family Services site for working families with children in child care
PAT of Lake County provides direct service management of the Parents as Teachers programs in Crown Point, Hammond, Lowell, North Township, and Whiting, with a new site opening in East Chicago in the near future. The organization also administers the Lake County Project, providing mentorship and development services to existing PAT programs in Lake County, as well as establishing new sites throughout the community. The Lake County Project facilitates the Northwest Indiana Regional PAT Council with a focus on building community partnerships and collaborating in marketing and professional development efforts. Executive Director Kimberly Smith has been with the organization since inception and is a National Trainer for Parents as Teachers, training new Parent Educators across the state.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS:
- In November 2005, PAT Hammond /Lake County, Inc. was presented the Great Lakes Award for “Excellence in Operations”.
- In 2006, our Executive Director, Kimberly Smith, was named a “Woman of Merit” by the Times newspaper.
- In April 2006, our Bilingual Parent Educator, Belinda Rodriguez-Montiel, was awarded “Parent Educator of the Year” from PAT National Center.
- In it's 2004 Indicators Report, the Northwest Indiana Quality of Life Council recommends the PAT program as an action step toward becoming a learning community, and has invited the organization to present Hammond’s partnership model to community leaders on several occasions.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Download our current Calendar of Events.
CONTACT:
For more information about PAT of Lake County's programs, contact Danielle Flores at 219.554.1710 or at daniellef@patlakecounty.org