Kansas Office of Early Childhood
TOPEKA – The Kansas Office of Early Childhood (KOEC) is proud to recognize five Kansas Parents as Teachers (PAT) programs that have earned the prestigious Blue-Ribbon Endorsement from the Parents as Teachers National Center (PATNC).
The Blue-Ribbon Endorsement places these programs among the highest-performing home visiting programs in the international Parents as Teachers network and reflects their commitment to delivering high-quality services that support children and families.
The following Kansas programs earned Blue Ribbon Endorsement in October 2026:
- Garden City PAT – USD 457
- Kansas Parents as Teachers Association
- Manhattan-Ogden PAT – USD 383
- Marion County PAT – USD 410
- Pratt PAT – USD 382
"Earning Blue Ribbon Endorsement reflects a deep commitment to quality, accountability, and positive outcomes for families," said KOEC Director Christi Smith. "These programs have demonstrated excellence in implementing the Parents as Teachers model and are helping ensure Kansas children and parents receive the support they need during the critical early years."
Every five years, PAT programs participate in the Parents as Teachers Quality Improvement and Endorsement Process (QEIP), a comprehensive review that helps programs demonstrate fidelity to the Parents as Teachers model, strengthen implementation, and engage in continuous quality improvement. Blue Ribbon Endorsement represents the highest level of achievement within the process and recognizes programs that demonstrate exemplary implementation of the model.
Commitment to Quality
Parents as Teachers recognizes two levels of program implementation, with Blue Ribbon Endorsement representing the highest level of achievement. Programs that demonstrate fidelity to the Parents as Teachers model and actively engage in the QEIP are recognized for their commitment to quality services and continuous improvement.
Programs that maintain fidelity to the Parents as Teachers model, participate in quality improvement efforts, and work to strengthen services play an important role in supporting positive outcomes for children and families across Kansas. While not every program has achieved Blue Ribbon Endorsement, these efforts reflect a shared commitment to excellence throughout the state's home visiting network.
Of the 60 Kansas Parents as Teachers programs, 95% operate with fidelity to the PAT model.
Supporting Kansas Families
Model fidelity means delivering Parents as Teachers services as they were designed while responding to the unique needs of each family. By following the PAT model and its evidence-based practices, home visiting professionals help ensure families receive support that research has shown can strengthen parent-child relationships, promote healthy child development, and build parents' knowledge, confidence, and skills.
For more than 40 years, Parents as Teachers home visiting professionals have partnered with Kansas families to support parents, nurture healthy child development, and build strong foundations for children's futures. Through their longstanding commitment to quality, Kansas PAT programs have established themselves as leaders in the home visiting field. The recent Blue-Ribbon Endorsements are another example of the excellence taking place across the state and the dedication of professionals who work every day to help parents and caregivers become their child's first and most important teacher.