Roseville Parent Honored at International Conference

Roseville resident Leticia Martinez, center, was honored at the
Parents as Teachers International Conference

Every year at the Parents as Teachers International Conference three parent educators are honored for their outstanding work in their community. This year Leticia Martinez, who has worked at KidsFirst for the past 15 years, was one of the three honorees, along with two other parent educators from Connecticut and Switzerland. “We are so proud that Leticia was singled-out for her outstanding work. Not only do we receive positive comments from the families she works with, but we also see the results as the children of the families she serves enter pre-school better prepared and ready to learn, “ said Lisa Velarde, CEO of KidsFirst.

Every month Leticia Martinez visits on average 30 families in their homes in her assigned area of Roseville, Lincoln, Sheridan and Loomis where she works with them one-on-one to provide the support, encouragement and tools they need to help their children develop optimally during the crucial early years. “As an immigrant myself I know how difficult some home situations can be and how little information young parents have about the role they themselves play in developing their children’s minds and bodies. I love talking with them and opening up their world bringing the resources they need to succeed as their child’s best advocate. But the real heroes, in my opinion, are the parents who actually use the tools to empower their children,” said Leticia Martinez.

Since 2007, KidsFirst has been using the Parents as Teachers (PAT) service model to deliver support and resources to over 1,000 parents and children in Placer County. Open to all families, the PAT Program not only teaches parents much-needed parenting skills, but also conducts regular assessments to detect as early as possible any developmental delays, so the child can begin treatment and therapy immediately to improve school readiness. The program serves families throughout pregnancy until their child turns three-years old.

The Parents as Teachers (PAT) program is just one of the many services KidsFirst offers the community. KidsFirst also offers parent education, family counseling as well as children's health insurance and CalFresh enrollment programs to provide families solutions to real-life shallenges that achieve lasting results. To learn more about KidsFirst to to www.kidsfirstnow.org.
  

About Parents as Teachers

Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., Parents as Teachers champions the critical role of parental involvement and early intervention in a child’s development. Parents As Teachers supports a network of professionals and organizations who serve more than 300,000 families across the country and around the world through a proven parent education model. For more information, visit www.ParentsAsTeachers.org.