An Introduction to First Teacher
The Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education (ADECE) is Alabama’s designated lead agency for home visiting, aligning it with the department’s prenatal to 3rd grade system initiatives.
The ADECE provides grants funding for voluntary First Teacher programs that focus on school readiness, child and family health and well being as well as helping families access resources in their communities. ALL ADECE-funded programs use an evidence-based home visiting model that matches families with trained professionals to provide information and support. Programs may enroll pregnant women and continue to serve the family until the child enters kindergarten. While services may be received elsewhere, the home is the primary setting for service delivery.
First Teacher Home Visiting programs serve families in all 67 counties across Alabama. Because of limited financial resources, even counties offering home visiting services may have families on waiting lists.
Mission
First Teacher Home Visiting utilizes three national models: Nurse Family Partnership, Parents as Teachers, and Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) that collectively focus on six areas:
- Improving maternal physical and mental health
- Reducing physical abuse
- Improving treatment of children (including health and nutrition)
- Promoting economic self-sufficiency for families
- Educating families on how to use the resources that are available to them in their area
- Promoting school readiness
Home Visiting Models and Results
- Improved health outcomes for mothers and babies.
- Reduced cases of child abuse and neglect.
- Improved school readiness.
- Reduced emergency room visits and child injuries.
