Parents as Teachers is a nationwide program aimed to support parents in early childhood education. Prior to children entering the school system, parents truly are doing the teaching at home through some of the most drastic developmental milestones. The program was set up as a partnership with and in support of parents by creating personal goals to help their children reach developmental milestones and provide resources to foster school readiness.
My first understanding of Parents as Teachers was that there was a referral process or it was a program designed to support early intervention programs, but I hadn't even begun to scratch the surface on what Parents as Teachers offered. Our local program, JC Schools Parents as Teachers Missouri Curriculum Partner operates in connection with JC Schools and provides services to ALL families living in Jefferson City School District with children from birth to age 5.
I had felt confident in both my children's development, but I had curiosities of how to further enrich their learning and experiences since I had transitioned to being a stay at home mom. I reached out to learn about ways I could get support and was blown away by all the services and resources they provide for FREE. After enrolling in the program, my family had our first meeting with our Parent Educator, Ms K, just three weeks later. Prior to our home meeting, she called to check and see if we needed diapers through the Capital City Diaper Bank. Our home meeting was relaxed, she asked developmental questions, inquired about goals, provided us with an activity to foster engagement and expressed care and consideration over all family members in the home. She has been available over the phone and text, checking in during special family moments and to remind us of community events. I enrolled in Parents as Teachers for the knowledge, but I have gotten incredible mom pep talks and felt the care she holds for my family.
JC Schools Parents as Teachers not only pours into families in the home, they've also created incredible community events for families enrolled in the program AND has opened the events up to the public. These have been opportunities for kids to engage in different themed activities, but also an opportunity for parents to socialize and build connections with others in their community. They also offer developmental screening and hold monthly seminars on Conscious Parenting.
Their next event will be held on Saturday, April 6th at the Southwest Early Childhood Learning Center. If you have lingering questions, this is a great opportunity to come meet the Parent Educators and learn more about the program.
If you're a parent of a child under 5 and are curious on how to enroll in the program, start here. There is an online registration form, but you could also print from website or contact Southwest Early Childhood Center for an application to be mailed to you. That's it! Once application is in, they will reach back out to you with details of your assigned Parent Educator and a plan to set up your first visit.
*Correction was made to this article. Article was originally published stating Jefferson City Parents as Teachers partners with the Pregnancy Help Center. Their partnership is actually with Capital City Diaper Bank.
