Connecting for Children and Families’ Parents as Teachers Program earns national praise

WOONSOCKET — Connecting for Children & Families (CCF) earned a prestigious endorsement by Parents as Teachers National Center as a Blue Ribbon Affiliate, making it one of the top performing home visiting affiliates within the international Parents as Teachers network. The official designation was made in October 2018.

Being named a Blue Ribbon Affiliate affirms that Connecting for Children & Families is a high-quality member of the home visiting field, implementing the evidence-based Parents as Teachers model with fidelity. Families in the Northern Rhode Island community are positively impacted by the services delivered by this program, which include home visits, group connections, child screenings and connecting to community resources, equipping parents with knowledge and resources to better prepare their children for a stronger start in life and greater success in school.

To earn Blue Ribbon Affiliate status, CCF underwent a rigorous self-study and National Center review process to confirm they are meeting Parents as Teachers’ standards of fidelity and quality. Blue Ribbon Affiliates are exemplary programs, delivering the highest quality services to children and families. Implementation with quality and fidelity is vital in home-visiting programs as it determines a program’s effectiveness in accomplishing its original goals and intended outcomes. It also verifies that a program is being implemented as designed.

CCF’s greatest strengths identified by the national office include early childhood learning and parent engagement.

“We are very proud to receive Blue Ribbon Affiliate status,” shared Terese Curtin, Executive Director of CCF. “The Parents as Teachers program model ensures children are healthy, safe and ready to learn. Our staff provides critical resources and support to Woonsocket and Northern Rhode Island families, which they otherwise may not have access to.”

For more information about the Parents as Teachers program, contact Denise Shavers, at dshavers@ccfcenter.org.