The Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s (AIU) Family Centers received an award in October 2023 that demonstrates just how critical these centers and their staff members are to their communities. Nine of our centers, along with our Family and Immigrant Connections program, have achieved Blue Ribbon status through Parents as Teachers.

“I’m delighted that the Parents as Teachers National Center has recognized the AIU’s Family Centers and their exemplary commitment to their communities,” said Lori Vollman, Program Director of the AIU’s Family and Community Engagement Services, which oversees the family centers. “I am extremely proud of our family center staff and the work they do every day to support families.”

Parents as Teachers is a renowned childhood development organization that gives parent educators and parents the tools and training to help children grow. The family centers met all of the essential requirements through the Parents as Teachers curriculum and scored at least 80% in the quality standards set by the curriculum. The following AIU Family Centers are now Blue Ribbon-certified through September 2028:

• Clairton
• Duquesne
• East Allegheny
• Family and Immigrant Connections
• Highlands
• Parenting Connections East
• McKeesport
• Steel Valley
• Sto-Rox

The AIU’s Family Centers will be honored for their Blue Ribbon status at the 2024 Parents as Teachers Conference, another feather in the cap for these facilities that deliver high-quality services to Allegheny County children and families. Additional branding will be applied to family center facilities and correspondence. Congratulations to our staff on this wonderful achievement!