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Meeting the needs of immigrant parents raising their children in a new culture
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What is the program about?
The PAT program is a parenting skills curriculum for immigrant adults that have demonstrated improvement in family communication, family rules, family bonding, and child disciplining techniques. The 13-session curriculum has been implemented since 1997 and incorporates classroom education, extensions for home-based activities with other family members, and a Team Leader component for program graduates. The primary focus of the PAT program is to teach effective parenting skills and to foster strong family attachments among immigrant families whose children are at an increased risk for negative developmental outcomes. |
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The PAT program is based upon the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention’s Principles of Substance Abuse Prevention. In the year 2000, the PAT program received an Exemplary Substance Abuse Prevention Program Award by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention as a promising program.
Whom is the program for?
PAT is a program for immigrant adults from any country of origin. Participants can be anyone expecting their first child to parents of teenagers. The program is taught in low literacy English. A Spanish translator is present at every session to interpret.
What will I learn if I take the program?
The PAT program is designed to help parents and caretakers:
- Connect with other parents who share similar experiences
- Recognize their ability to be teachers to their children
- Use better and more consistent disciplining techniques
- Establish and enforce family rules
- Improve their communication with their children
- Become more involved in their child’s life through play and conversations
- Better manage their stress and emotions when dealing with their children
What types of materials are there?
PAT program participants are provided with a Parent Manual that is written using the basic English words that are taught in ESL classes. All handouts are provided in both English and Spanish, and the instructor provides materials for certain activities that participants take home to do with their children.
Is the program effective?
Past PAT participants have reported that as a result of the program they had improved their communication with their children, had learned how to establish and enforce rules, were exhibiting more patience and self-control especially when disciplining their children, had increased the amount of time they were spending with the entire family, and were more effective in their disciplining and management of their children’s behavior.
Past PAT program participants also report an increased amount of conversations with other parents, an increased sense of parenting self-efficacy, and were more likely to feel that members of their family were providing more support and recognition towards one another.
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