Families First


Families First is a free and voluntary parent education family support program. The vision of Families First is that all parents will be their child’s first and best teacher and that all children will start school ready to learn. 

 
What Services Does Families First Offer?
Essential Components of Families First include:		   

Home Visiting Program
Certified parent educators work one-on-one with families in their homes using the Parents as Teachers (PAT) curriculum.  PAT is the name of the award winning early childhood, parent education and family support program.  PAT is research-based and designed to work with parents who are expecting or guardians raising children ages birth to age five.

  • Home visits are free and voluntary.
  • Families may end services at any time.
  • Certified parent educators visit families at home with specialized activities using the PAT curriculum to help parents learn about child development, nutrition, health care, effective parenting skills, school readiness and more.
  • Home visits last approximately one hour.
  • Frequency of home visits is determined by a joint decision between the family and the parent educator.  Some factors considered in setting a home visit frequency are, but not limited to, the needs of the family, the number of children in the home under the age of five, and the availability of both the parent and the parent educator.
 

School Readiness & Early Childhood Programs

Families First has designed a new way to reach more children and families in the community in an effective and impactful manner through its School Readiness and Early Childhood Programs. 

  • Parent educators and trained volunteers meet with a class of 6-8 parents and their children to cover early childhood education, school readiness topics, development, and parenting information.

  • The School Readiness Program offers classes for parents and children ages 3-5.

  • The Early Childhood Program offers classes for parents and children ages birth-3.

  • School Readiness and Early Childhood classes have been launched across the Ada County community with the following partners: International Rescue Committee, St. Al’s Family Center, Interfaith Sanctuary, and more to come.


If you are a parent who would like to register for an upcoming class or an agency who would like to receive more information on how to start a class at your agency, please contact Families First!
Connections to Community Resources
Parent educators connect families to needed services and resources, linking families with information on needed medical professionals, school personnnel, and community resources.		  
Child Development Screenings
Parent educators conduct periodic screenings of overall child development in the areas of language, motor, intellectual, social, general health, hearing and vision.

Parent Educators are trained to utilize research-based assessments used to track children’s development.

The goal is to provide early detection of potential problems to prevent difficulties later in school.
  
Parent Group Meetings
Parent group meetings (PGMs) are FREE family events put on by Families First staff and volunteers that help reduce the isolation some families experience.  We accomplish this by providing education and opportunities for families to connect with one another, and offer exposure to experiences and attractions that many families may not afford otherwise.

PGMs are designed to increase parents’ knowledge of parenting practices and early childhood development as well as a way to acquaint families with community resources available to them.

Topics for PGMs vary depending on the time of year, needs and feedback from families, and resources available to the Families First program.  Past events have ranged from workshops on budgeting, how to understand children’s emotions, to hands-on experiences like family kickball night, family trips to the Discovery Center, Boise Zoo, the pumpkin patch, and more!		  

Parenting Classes 

Currently, Families First offers a parenting class using the Love and Logic curriculum.  Love and Logic is a class available to any parent who wishes to learn about a parenting philosophy of raising and teaching responsible children, which allows adults to be happier, empowered, and more skilled in their interaction with children.  Learn more about Love & Logic. 		 

Please Read To Me

Please Read to Me is a literacy project with a goal to encourage and enhance reading skills by putting age appropriate books into the hands of children served by the program.

When visiting families in their homes, parent educators inform parents of the importance of reading to children.  Parent educators deliver books regularly for each child in the families they visit to build a home "library".  Learn more about Please Read to Me.
 

Consultations

Families First offers critical resources to parents who seek information about best practices for parenting and raising school-ready children.  Parents who graduate from Families First’s home visiting program may contact a Parent Educator when they need additional resources regarding early child development or parenting information.

Parents not enrolled in the program are also encouraged to contact Families First. 		 

Who can participate in Families First?

  

Being a parent is not only extremely important, but can often be stressful. Families First is a free and voluntary parent education program designed to provide parents with the information and support they need to give their children the best possible start in life.  Let us know if we can support you in your journey as parents. 

 

Currently, families who participate in the Families First program:

  • Reside in Ada County
  • Are raising children under the age of five (or are expecting)

 

  

How do families enroll in Families First?

 

Families are referred to the agency from hospitals, schools, family and child service agencies, individuals, counselors, and others.  After receiving the referral the agency contacts the family to offer and explain the services.  If parents choose to participate, a parent educator calls and sets up an initial home visit.  The parent educator and family decide on the frequency of the services, based on the needs of the family.  The parent educator and the parents draft an educational plan and parents sign a participation agreement. 

If you are raising a child under the age of five, please contact us to learn more about which services may be best for you. 

If you are a service provider, we appreciate your referrals to the Families First Program.