CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Early learning is crucial to a child's development, which is why Catholic Charities offers a program aimed at helping not only kids but also their parents.
'Parents as Teachers' is a free state-funded program that offers parents of children from ages zero to five that qualify the tools they need to get them ready for school.
"We go into the homes of our families, and we provide them with development activities we do screenings and assessments just to make sure that the milestones are being met and that the child is developing the way they should be,” Ana Tortorello, the manager of the program, said.
To qualify for this program, families must be going through a stressful situation. Military families, substance abuse, or even mental health falls in the category to be able to qualify.
The program currently serves 80 families and has four parent educators. Amber Garza is one of the educators, and she said that her favorite part about the job is working closely with the kids and their families.
The four domains the educators focus on during parent-child interaction activities are: fine motor skills, gross motor development, social-emotional development, and cognitive.
The program has been offered since 2009 to families in the Nueces and San Patricio County area.
Garza said she enjoys working with the families and making sure the children are successful down the road and have a good foundation while they are little.
" I make sure that the children are meeting their milestones," Garza said.
The educators are available from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in the comfort of your own home or in their office.
The space is limited, and if you would like to sign up call them at 361-844-0651 or click here to visit their website.
