PALs: The Research

Research shows that interactions between the parents and the newborn are critical factors in nourishing life skills in their infant.

Ideas shared through these home visits increase the parents’ responsiveness to infant behavior and in turn helps develop the child’s necessary social-emotional skills and learning behaviors that he or she will need for school readiness and success later in life. 

Ms. Shepard observes infant developmental milestones and suggests key support services to parents, including core partners, Maine Families, Child Development Services, and Head Start.

The play/support group component of our PALs program offers parents an opportunity to have adult social interaction, and a change of scenery while learning from Ms. Shepard, other parents, social workers and child development specialists, parenting skills and coping techniques for stressful parenting situations.

Our PALs model offers bi-generational  support to both infants and parents. This model is currently considered the most effective way by funding agencies to have the greatest impact on improving early child development outcomes and preventing abuse and neglect.