Parents as Teachers

The activity the child is doing is Chips in a Can an Activity for 14-24 mos.:  Problem Solving and Practicing Eye-Hand Coordination. 

Our Mission:  Parents as Teachers promotes early development, learning, and health of children by supporting and engaging their parents and caregivers.

Children do not come with directions. Parents as Teachers can help.

During the years between birth and kindergarten, there are important times when specific kinds of learning must take place for your child to develop to the fullest. Parents as Teachers can help you capture those windows of opportunity ​so your child starts school ready to succeed.

All young children and their families deserve the same opportunities to succeed. The mission of Parents as Teachers is to provide the information, support, and encouragement parents need to help their children develop optimally during the crucial early years of life.

Shawnee Mission Parents as Teachers shares that mission by providing established and emerging research-based information to parents to promote knowledge of early childhood development and best parenting practices, while understanding and appreciating the diverse cultures and traditions of families who reside within the Shawnee Mission School District boundaries.

Parents as Teachers is a voluntary program that offers personal home visits, social activities, playgroups, parenting classes, and various health-related and developmental screenings. The early years of life are critical for optimal development and provide the foundation for success, and parents are their children's first and most influential teachers.

Enrollment Guidelines for Parents as Teachers:

Families enrolling in our program are eligible to participate in monthly home visits in addition to all of the resources and events offered through the SM Parents as Teachers program.  If you don't want virtual home visits, families are invited to attend group meetings, participate in the play center, check out resources from our lending library, receive developmental assessments and hearing screenings, and join/take part in Parents as Teachers PTA events.  

Parents as Teachers will continue home visits.  All adults and children over the age of 2 will wear a mask during the home visits.  We will also continue to offer remote visits and outdoor options for families who may not be ready for in-home visits.  

Our offices are located at the Broadmoor Center - Early Childhood Education - 6701 W. 83rd Street (83rd & Metcalf), Overland Park, Kansas 66204.

To enroll, please click on the blue button below “PAT ENROLLMENT,” and you will be able to complete the enrollment process online through our Skyward platform.  Please note that the online enrollment form will ask for your child’s grade level.  For families enrolling in Parents as Teachers, whose children are not yet school age, please mark your child based on the following codes: 

P0 =    Birth - 11 months

P1 =    12 months – 23 months

P2 =    24 months – 35 months  

(For example, if your child is 15 months of age, you will mark P1.)

Welcome 2023-24 Newsletter

 Learn how Parents as Teachers can help parents maximize their child's full potential!  

PAT Enrollment

Shawnee Mission Parent as Teachers - Award

In October of 2020, the Shawnee Mission Parents as Teachers program earned the Blue Ribbon Affiliate.  This award affirms we are one of the top performing home visiting affiliates in the PAT National Center's international network. 

The Blue Ribbon Award is given to those with dedicated teamwork, strategic planning, and passionate service to families.    As presented to us by Parents as Teachers National Center , we are recognized as a high-quality member of the home visiting field, implementing the evidence-based Parents as Teachers model with fidelity.  

In order to receive this award, we underwent a rigorous self-study and review process from Parents as Teachers National.  This endorsement process acknowledges our accountability and credibility to the community, its funders, elected officials, and the partner organizations with which they work.  

Shawnee Mission Parents as Teacher's PTA is an organization where children thrive and succeed when parents are engaged and involved in activities with and for children.  One way to be involve is to support your local PTA.   Our PAT PTA Board Members are parents who have been involved in the Parents as Teachers Program and who are volunteering to lead our most popular group connections for the 2023-24 school year!

A single Membership is for families in the SMSD district with children 5 years and younger.  The events include Holiday Take N' Make, Little Gym, Fire Station Tour, and so much more!  Join our PTA and enjoy all events and no additional costs.  See more information about our Shawnee Mission Parents as Teacher PTA on Facebook.  For more information on how our Local PTA helps our community, see our Resources Page.

2023-24 Discounted Membership

Parents as Teachers

Staff Directory

Office - Parents as Teachers
(913) 993-9380

6701 W. 83rd Street, Overland Park, KS  66204

Dr. Leigh Anne Neal, Chief of Early Childhood Education/Sustainability 
913-993-6412

Chris Judd, Secretary for PAT 
913-993-2610

E-mail us at smpat@smsd.org

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday
7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Please note that Shawnee Mission Parents as Teachers follows the Shawnee Mission School District schedule which includes breaks and holidays. When inclement weather occurs, please reference your local news source for school closings. If Shawnee Mission School District announces a closing, the PAT office and play enter will be closed. Classes, group meetings, activities, and PTA events will also be canceled. If a home visit has been scheduled, it is automatically canceled and your parent educator will contact you to reschedule.

August 2023 Newsletter

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

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Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

ENROLL YOUR CHILD TODAY! Every child can have books of their very own, at no cost to you, thanks to Shawnee Mission Education Foundation, and Dolly Parton.  Help us inspire a lifelong love of reading! Click on the above picture and begin your child's  journey to receive a new book every month!