Podcast
Parents as Teachers
Hosted by Parents as Teachers · EN
Parents as Teachers has been working with families for over 40 years, matching parents and caregivers with trained professionals who make regular, personal home visits during a child's earliest years to build strong communities, thriving families, and children that are healthy, safe, and learning. Our internationally recognized evidence-based home visiting model is backed by 40 years of research-proven outcomes for children and families. Parents as Teachers currently serves nearly 180,000 families in all 50 U.S. states, 115 Tribal organizations, six other countries, and one U.S. territory.
The Parents as Teachers podcast will highlight stories of home visitors, parent educators, trainers, doulas, and researchers – and take listeners behind the scenes of our evidence-based model, and the people who bring it to life.
To learn more, go to parentsasteachers.org.
The Parents as Teachers Podcast is hosted by Erinn Miller, and produced by Jill Ruby.
22episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Tell Me a Story: Mario Drain on Fatherhood
2w ago00:12:19Tap to summarizeSharing stories and experiences offer some of the strongest ways to connect, reflect, and enrich our community. In celebration of Father's Day, Mario Drain, a Fatherhood Involvement Specialist at the Milwaukee Health Department and a 2026 National Home Visitors of the Year recipient joins us to share his story.
Transcribe →Setting Goals the "SMART" way
2w ago00:25:06Tap to summarizeGoal setting is a part of service delivery and a proven strategy for supporting personal growth, yet it isn't always easy to do. Daniel Charles II, Director of the Mission United program and Program Manager of the Parents as Teachers initiative at United Way of Central Georgia, joins us to talk about why goal setting is so important, how we can help families identify, set, and prioritize goals through the SMART method, and how as parent educators we can balance our program goals with the goals of our families.
Transcribe →Did COVID-19 Affect Early Child Development?
May 2600:29:57Tap to summarizeMasks. Social distancing. School closures. COVID was a stressful and confusing time for all, but did the pandemic leave long lasting effects on the development of children who were living through it? Dr. Dani Dumitriu, a pediatrician, neuroscientist, pediatric environmental health scientist, and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University, joins us to talk about the latest research on how COVID affected children and families from a developmental and relational health perspective, and what we've learned about how to mitigate the effects of a similar upheaval on children in the future.
Transcribe →Supporting Families Upstream: The Role of Home Visitors in Child Abuse Prevention
Apr 2800:30:00Tap to summarizeMelissa Jonson-Reid, Director at the Center for Innovation in Child Maltreatment Policy, Research and Training at Washington University, joins us to share how home visitors can embrace their role in supporting families, building on strengths, and fostering safe, nurturing environments that promote child and family well-being—both during Child Abuse Prevention Month and throughout the year.
Transcribe →Nature and Home Visiting: Bringing the Outside In
Mar 2400:32:01Tap to summarizeWe feel good taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of nature, and research shows that exposure to nature can lower stress, boost attention, and improve engagement - especially in children. Jennifer Smith-Simms, Public Programs Manager at the Missouri Botanical Garden, joins us to talk about how any interaction with nature – big or small – can be therapeutic no matter how old we are, and she shares easy ways home visitors can incorporate nature into our work and everyday lives.
Transcribe →Home Visiting in the Child Welfare System: What is Our Role?
Feb 2400:26:46Tap to summarizeParents as Teachers exists to support parents as they raise children who are healthy, safe, and learning. So, what does that look like when families are involved in the Child Welfare System? Sondra Horowitz, Senior Director of Quality Improvement at Parents as Teachers National Center, joins us to talk about how parent educators should think of their roles in Child Welfare situations, how they can cultivate collaboration with others in the child welfare ecosystem, how to support families as they work toward reunification, and how they can practice self-care throughout the partnership.
Transcribe →Tell Me a Story: Mia Dadiz-Gaspar, Maui Family Support Services
Feb 2400:13:31Tap to summarizeWorking as a home visitor with families in the Child Welfare System can be uniquely challenging and rewarding. Mia Dadiz-Gaspar, a Lead Parent Educator at Maui Family Support Services, joins us to share her personal experience in Wailuku, Hawaii.
Transcribe →The Art of Storytelling
Jan 2700:36:43Tap to summarizeEveryone at Parents as Teachers has a story, so how can we tell it so people will listen? At the National Center, we're often fielding requests from the media, brainstorming how to share stories effectively, and strategizing about the best channels for amplifying the partnerships between families and parent educators. Jen Peters, a communications strategist with over a decade of experience supporting initiatives across education, technology, and public health, and Kerry Caverly, Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer for the Parents as Teachers National Center, join us to talk about the different ways that parent educators and Parents as Teachers affiliates can share stories about the work they do, and why storytelling matters.
Transcribe →Parents as Teachers Podcast Season 2 Preview
Jan 1300:02:53Tap to summarizeSeason 2 is here! Fresh stories, compelling conversations, and expert interviews with guests that can help us build strong communities, thriving families, and children who are healthy, safe, and learning.
Transcribe →Integrating Care For Families: Imprints Cares and Parents As Teachers
Dec 1600:32:46Tap to summarizeBy bringing together a unique and comprehensive portfolio of evidence-based programs (including Parents as Teachers), Imprints Cares in Winston-Salem, NC addresses the developing social, behavioral, and academic needs of children while also studying the impact of these efforts on families. Dr. Anna Miller-Fitzwater and Maria Stockton join us to talk about Imprints Cares, its affiliation with Parents as Teachers, and the research behind what makes this carefully integrated program work so well.
Transcribe →