About the Project, Phase I & Phase II:

Phase I of Connect Texas looked at the impact of hybrid personal visits on parenting outcomes. Hybrid is defined as completing at least 50% of personal videos virtually using video conferencing software. Family engagement data from Phase I revealed that home visiting in a pandemic, while different, can be effective (Videos). Despite the challenges of virtual service delivery, both parents and parent educators reported 1) alignment and 2) increases in their perceptions of their working relationship (p>.01) and parenting outcomes (p>.01). (See further results Connect Texas Phase I Summary in Phase I section below.)

Based on the learnings from Phase I, Phase II will focus on developing a serve and return learning package for Parents as Teachers affiliates as well as a serve and return learning package that is unique to community programs outside of the Parents as Teachers network. These learning packages will combine self-paced, group, and one on one learning opportunities to support all adult learners. The Connect Texas team will study the effectiveness of coaching on direct service staff learning and development from within their own programs. We will look at how the transfer of serve and return knowledge is passed on to families and others that they connect with in a professional manner while studying the effectiveness of the learning package.

Connect Texas Phase II:

Connect Texas Phase I:

PAT National received a grant from the Episcopal Health Foundation in December 2019 to begin a hybrid virtual and on-ground PAT pilot program throughout Central and East Texas. With the support of the Episcopal Health Foundation PAT incorporated the emerging research and promising practices associated with new technologies into the delivery system of our evidence based home visiting model, virtual Parent Education (VPE) has the potential to connect under served families to parenting support, community resources and each other.

6 Texas Parents as Teachers affiliates provided Connect Texas virtual home visitation services :​

  1. Any Baby Can, Austin​​

  2. Buckner Child & Family Services, Beaumont​​

  3. Buckner Child & Family Services, Longview​​

  4. Collaborative for Children, Houston​​

  5. Family Abuse Center, Waco​​

  6. Leander Independent School District, Leander

Learn about how the parent educators successfully navigated virtual home visiting in the video below.

Phase I Research Findings

Connect Texas Phase I Summary Poster

Connect Texas Phase I summary

Click image for closer view.