Five Kansas Parents as Teachers Programs Earn Honor
Five Kansas programs received the Parents as Teachers Blue-Ribbon Endorsement, the highest level in the national quality review process.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Child Care
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In October 2026, the Kansas Office of Early Childhood recognized five Kansas Parents as Teachers programs with Blue-Ribbon Endorsement from the Parents as Teachers National Center. The endorsement is the highest level of achievement in the Quality Improvement and Endorsement Process.
Why it matters
The recognition reflects the quality of early childhood family support offered across Kansas, where programs must demonstrate fidelity to the Parents as Teachers model. It signals that local programs are meeting national standards for parent education and child development support.
The Blue-Ribbon Endorsement comes from a quality review conducted every five years, and 5 of Kansas's 60 programs received it. Ninety-five percent of Kansas programs operate with fidelity to the Parents as Teachers model, though the review outcomes for the remaining programs were not detailed.
The players
Parents as Teachers National Center
The national organization that administers the Parents as Teachers model and its Quality Improvement and Endorsement Process, granting Blue-Ribbon Endorsement to qualifying programs.
Kansas Office of Early Childhood
The Kansas state office based in Topeka that oversees early childhood programs and announced the recognition of the five local programs.
The details
The five recognized programs are Garden City PAT (USD 457), Kansas Parents as Teachers Association, Manhattan-Ogden PAT (USD 383), Marion County PAT (USD 410), and Pratt PAT (USD 382). The honor followed participation in the Parents as Teachers Quality Improvement and Endorsement Process, a comprehensive review that strengthens implementation through continuous improvement.
Timeline
October 2026: Five Kansas Parents as Teachers programs earned Blue-Ribbon Endorsement.
Every five years: Parents as Teachers programs undergo the Quality Improvement and Endorsement Process review.
More than 40 years: Parents as Teachers has served Kansas families.
Roadmap
Parents as Teachers, which has served Kansas families for more than 40 years, is built around a five-year national review cycle that measures how closely local programs follow the model. The Blue-Ribbon Endorsement sits at the top of that cycle, so these five recognitions show which Kansas programs have met the highest standard in the most recent review.
Families in Kansas looking for early childhood parent education can check whether a local Parents as Teachers program is among the endorsed sites. The endorsement reflects a review that happens every five years, so families can expect programs to be reassessed on that schedule.
The takeaway
Families seeking early childhood support in Kansas can look for Parents as Teachers programs that have been reviewed through the national quality process. Checking a program's endorsement status can help a family judge how closely it follows the model.
Further reading
For more on local options, see Child Care coverage across Kansas.
Source note: This article includes information reported by JC Post.
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