Free Mehlville Parents as Teachers program helps prepare your child for school
Posted on 09/29/2020
Mehlville Parents as Teachers is now accepting enrollment of new families. The program supports families throughout pregnancy until their child enters kindergarten, and services are provided free of charge.
“Being a parent is hard work, and we are ready to help you educate your child to prepare them for school,” said Katy Miller, Mehlville Parents as Teachers Parent Educator. “Your baby was born to learn, and you are your child’s first and most important teacher.”
Parents as Teachers can be beneficial to your family whether you are a first-time parent or have more than one child.
“As a first time mom, not only was I learning about developmental milestones and age-appropriate activities, I was also learning how to support my daughter throughout each age and stage with confidence,” said Tierney Cronin.
Cronin’s son is currently enrolled in the Mehlville Parents as Teachers program, and her oldest daughter, Evie, was in the program from birth until she started kindergarten. She is now a first-grade student at Hagemann Elementary School.
“Parents as Teachers helped Evie build the confidence she needed to start preschool,” Cronin said. “It gave us access to school readiness tips and presentations, free annual screenings and many fun community events at John Cary Early Childhood Center. These all contributed to a much easier transition when heading into the preschool program at age 3.”
“Research shows that children involved in PAT were better prepared for kindergarten in the areas of language, social development, problem solving and intellectual abilities,” Miller said. “They also scored higher on standardized measures of reading and math achievement.”
Mehlville Parents as Teachers is currently supporting families with virtual visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please call (314) 467-5304 or complete this form to enroll. You can learn more on the Parents as Teachers section of our website.