Bond proposes Parents as Teachers expansion

Cindy LeGrand is a first-grade teacher and a former parent educator with the Parents as Teachers program, so she has seen both sides of the learning curve.

"Seven of my 16 students this year were in the program before they got to kindergarten," said LeGrand, who teaches first grade at Scott City Elementary. "Those seven parents knew exactly what the children needed to know, the things to do to prepare them to succeed."

Sadly, not all students enter school as prepared, LeGrand agreed.

Sen. Kit Bond, who visited LeGrand's class Monday, says a new proposal to expand the Parents as Teachers program will help more students enter school better ready to learn.

Bond was in Scott City to tout his proposed Education Begins at Home Act, a $500 million federal funding plan to expand the Parents as Teachers program, which uses experienced parents as home-based teachers for pregnant women and new parents.

Bond, R-Mo., was governor when the program began as a pilot project in Missouri in 1981 and expanded nationwide under a 1984 law requiring schools to provide parent education and developmental screening. All states now have some version of the program.

"Being a parent is hard work and babies do not come with an instruction book," Bond said, after reading a Dr. Seuss book to the first-graders. "We must help parents and give them the education and support they need to promote their young children's healthy development and prepare them for success in school and life."

Bond's latest proposal would establish the first dedicated funding stream to expand Parents and Teachers programs at the state and local level. Over three years, his plan would provide $400 million for states to expand access to the program; $50 million for local partnerships to expand the program in communities with limited English proficiency; and $50 million to expand the program for military families both domestically and abroad through the Department of Defense.

Bond estimated that more than 2.7 million families nationwide would receive Parents as Teacher services under his proposal. He said that since the program was created, more than 2 million families nationwide have received the education and support through Parents as Teachers. Bond stressed that there are more families that can be reached through the program.

Heraleen Bowers of Scott City said both of her children went through the Parents as Teachers program. Her 7-year-old daughter, Bella, is in LeGrand's class. Bowers and a handful of other parents met with Bond at the school before he read to the students.

"To me, it helped click that we have roles as educators," Bowers told Bond. "Our role as parents begin long before they step foot in school. There's a lot of work to do."

Under Bond's proposal, the U.S. Departments of Education, and Health and Human Services would collaborate to make grants that would in turn be allocated to states. The amount of money each state receives would be determined by the number of children 5 and under living in each state. No state would be eligible for more than $20 million in a single year.

Bond recently spoke about the proposal in Jefferson City. Gov. Matt Blunt spoke in support of Bond's proposal. Blunt said his budget will have a $5 million increase in Missouri's Parents as Teachers funding.

Blunt said the funding will help an additional 10,500 families across the state. Cape Girardeau's Parents as Teachers currently has 270 families enrolled, while Jackson has around 540 families in its program.

smoyers@semissourian.com

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