By: Kari Radjewski, director of Marketing & Communications
When Maria noticed her toddler wasn’t speaking as quickly as other children, worry quickly turned into stress. She wanted to help her daughter but didn’t know where to begin. Through Parents as Teachers (PAT), Maria connected with a parent educator who guided her through developmental screenings, shared strategies to build language at home, and offered steady encouragement along the way. Today, Maria says she feels less alone—and her daughter is getting the support she needs.
Behind Maria’s story is a bigger truth: when parents don’t know where to turn, stress and uncertainty can grow. For some families, constant stress can make it harder to stay patient, responsive, or emotionally available. And yet, parents and caregivers are their child’s first and most important teachers.
That’s why the Children’s Foundation supports vital programming like PAT—because a child’s early years matter most. From birth to age five, a child’s brain makes more than 1 million new connections every second—connections that shape learning, relationships, and health for life. PAT builds parents’ confidence, eases family stress, and ensures young children get the care and connection they need.
Why Parents as Teachers matters
Decades of research show that Parents as Teachers works:
- Families are more likely to practice positive parenting and engage in early literacy activities.
- Children demonstrate stronger cognitive, language, and social-emotional development.
- Risks of abuse, neglect, and family stress decrease significantly.
- Families become more connected to resources and more engaged in their children’s education.
By strengthening both children and caregivers, PAT ensures families in Michigan have what they need during the most critical years of development. That’s why the Children’s Foundation is proud to support PAT through grant partnerships with organizations like Boldli and Oakland Family Services.
Boldli: Supporting mental health from the start in Detroit neighborhoods
In Detroit, Boldli is using a $25,000 grant to expand its PAT programming into additional Brilliant Detroit neighborhood locations. With this support 25 more families will now have access to both individual home visits and group connections—play-based learning sessions that encourage social development and strengthen caregiver-child relationships.
For families facing barriers, these opportunities can be life-changing. As one of Boldli’s Parent Educators shared, these programs “help families see what’s possible, not just what’s in front of them.”
Those possibilities are rooted in science: children’s earliest social and emotional skills are built through consistent, caring interactions. PAT equips parents to provide these, preventing toxic stress, reducing risks of abuse and neglect, and preparing children to enter school ready to learn.
Oakland Family Services: Supporting family success in Oakland County
Oakland Family Services also provides PAT services, and is using a $50,000 grant to bring PAT to 100 Oakland County families experiencing poverty, trauma, or instability. The program provides consistent home visits, developmental screenings, and links to vital community resources such as food assistance, behavioral healthcare, and housing support.
By helping caregivers recognize developmental milestones and practice responsive caregiving, Oakland Family Services is strengthening the parent-child bond that is so essential in the earliest years.
Families leave the program not only with new skills and stronger relationships, but also with the reassurance that they are not alone—a key protective factor against the stress that can derail healthy development.
A shared vision for Michigan’s children
Boldli and Oakland Family Services remind us that parenting doesn’t come with a roadmap—but it can come with support. Our commitment to Parents as Teachers is helping families navigate the earliest years with confidence, so every child has a clear path to a strong, successful future.
