Individuals must qualify for training as a parent educator by meeting one of the following criteria:

 

• Certification and/or a four year degree in either Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Elementary Education, Vocational Home Economics, Family and Consumer Sciences or Child Development and demonstrated ability in working with young children and their parents;

 

• A two-year associate degree or two-year certificate program in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or Nursing and demonstrated ability in working with young children and their parents;

 

• Sixty semester hours or more of credit from an academic degree granting institution which is contained within the United States Department of Education’s Directory of Post-Secondary Institutions and two years of successful experience in a program working with young children and their parents as approved by DESE; or

 

• Five years of successful experience in a program working with young children and their parents as approved by DESE and a high school diploma or equivalent. Individuals that qualify for training under this specific criteria may be required to complete additional training at the discretion of DESE.

 

Parent educators must successfully complete the DESE approved Foundational Curriculum and Model Implementation training and a family personal visit observation of an experienced parent educator. This must be completed prior to providing parent education services to families. Parent educators must be trained in the Foundational 2 Curriculum to provide parent education services to families with children age three to kindergarten entry.