Fort Worth local Nicole Webb spends her days showing parents how the smallest interactions \u2014 stacking cups, rolling a ball, and singing the words in\u00a0a picture book \u2014 can spark their child\u2019s growth. What looks like play is actually the foundation of learning. And Webb is good at showing that both to parents and their children. \u00a0<\/p>\n
This October, her work will be recognized on an international stage in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where Webb will be named \u201cParent Educator of the Year\u201d at the Parents as Teachers International Conference, one of the largest gatherings of early childhood home-visiting professionals in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Webb\u2019s path to this moment began in a high school English classroom. She loved teaching, but when her first child arrived, she left the classroom to focus on motherhood. A few years later, she returned to education through a pre-K classroom in Fort Worth and discovered a new calling. A parent of one of her students told her about\u00a0Parents as Teachers, a program that partners with caregivers to help them become their child\u2019s first and best teacher. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Webb hasn\u2019t looked back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an incredible honor,\u201d Webb says. \u201cProfessionally, it validates my dedication and passion for serving others. Personally, it celebrates my resiliency. In 2019, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and there were moments I wondered if I could keep going. But I did. And I think that perseverance helps me connect with families who are facing their own struggles.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As a Parent Partnership Specialist with Northwest Family Services, Webb conducts hour-long home visits that blend parent\u2013child interaction, developmental coaching, and family well-being support. She guides parents in nurturing skills, routines, and early literacy, while also addressing mental health, employment, relationships, and overall family wellness. \u201cFamilies are like a mobile,\u201d she says. \u201cIf one part shifts, the whole thing moves.\u201d Her goal isn\u2019t to teach children herself \u2014 it\u2019s to empower parents to be confident, capable educators.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her approach has earned high praise from her supervisor, Cynthia Elliott. \u201cWhether she\u2019s helping a child adjust to a new sibling, supporting developmental milestones, or advocating for services like Early Childhood Special Education, Nicole tailors each visit to meet families\u2019 unique needs,\u201d Elliott says. \u201cShe brings engaging, practical activities and helpful resources, creating an environment where parents feel heard, supported, and empowered.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Webb\u2019s empathy comes from experience. The daughter of a single mother, she saw firsthand the resilience required to juggle work, school, and parenting. As a mother herself, she understands the challenges parents face. One young mother, new to Fort Worth, struggled to connect with her child and doubted her own abilities. Over several months, Webb helped build her confidence through parent\u2013child activities and affirmations. By the end, the mother could say, \u201cI can do this. I am my child\u2019s best teacher.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This fall, Webb will join more than 1,400 colleagues at the San Juan conference. She is eager to connect with other educators, but also to mark a personal milestone: her fifteenth wedding anniversary, celebrated alongside her husband. \u201cThis award isn\u2019t just mine,\u201d she says. \u201cIt belongs to my husband, my kids, my mom \u2014 the people who\u2019ve supported me and sacrificed with me along the way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Webb wants to see\u00a0Parents as Teachers\u00a0accessible in every school district and county. \u201cWhen you support families, you\u2019re shaping the future. Kids are our future,\u201d she says. \u00a0<\/p>\n
For now, she focuses on each visit, each parent, each child, helping families believe in themselves and their potential. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s humbling,\u201d she says. \u201cBut at the end of the day, it\u2019s about families. If they feel stronger, more capable, more connected \u2014 then that\u2019s the real award.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fort Worth local Nicole Webb spends her days showing parents how the smallest interactions \u2014 stacking cups, rolling…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":225416,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5138],"tags":[5229,12043,5800,407,65388,7371,121970,7372,10763,358,7453,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-225415","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fort-worth","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-arts-and-culture","10":"tag-awards","11":"tag-education","12":"tag-family-services","13":"tag-fort-worth","14":"tag-fort-worth-families","15":"tag-fortworth","16":"tag-stephen-montoya","17":"tag-texas","18":"tag-top-story","19":"tag-tx","20":"tag-united-states","21":"tag-united-states-of-america","22":"tag-unitedstates","23":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","24":"tag-us","25":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115201057969885190","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=225415"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225415\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/225416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=225415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=225415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=225415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}