Ringgold County Public Health is pleased to announce the new name for our family support program, previously known as Parents as Teachers. Although our name is changing, Start-2-Soar will continue to use the research-based Parents as Teachers curriculum while providing home visitation to families in Ringgold County. Robin McDonnell, the program coordinator, is a registered nurse and a trained parent educator who has been providing services to the community since 2011.
We serve families with young children, from conception through age 3 years. Start-2-Soar partners with parents to provide education, support, and assistance accessing resources. Additional services include a variety of developmental screenings, activities to support child development, and group connections.
One parent shares, “The [PAT] program was a wonderful way for us as a family to learn new things and keep us on our toes as parents. The handouts of all the different stages of mental and physical growth assured us that our son was on track with his peers; and the activities helped us keep things from getting stagnant. Having a person come into our home and evaluate him was a huge bonus, as it is hard to see if your child is behind when you are around them daily. We would highly recommend this program to both new parents and seasoned ones. You can never have enough information or resources at your hands to help your children grow and learn!”
About Start-2-Soar….
Vision: Children will fulfill their potential as they learn, grow and develop in a nourishing and safe environment.
Mission: Provide families access to support, encouragement and information they may need to help them create an environment for optimal development during the early crucial years of life.
Core Values:
- Parents are the first and most influential teacher for their children.
- The first three years of life are the most critical for optimal development and building a foundation for a successful future.
- All families and children deserve the same opportunities to be successful, regardless of demographic, geographic or economic considerations.
- Established and emerging research should be the foundation of family support and parent education materials and services.
- Understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and traditions is essential to serving families.