Here’s how this Lee’s Summit program helps parents be their children’s best teachers

Based on the premise that parents are their children’s first and most influential teachers, the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District’s Parents As Teachers program has been assisting families for nearly four decades.

“Parenting is hard and even people who have backgrounds in early childhood, higher education degrees, even doctorates struggle when it comes to raising children,” said Jeanie Cook, principal at the district’s Great Beginnings Early Education Center.

“Our program is designed to support, educate and empower families. Whether families have concerns or are pleased with their child’s (children’s) progress, our parent educators can share research behind child development and provide developmental activities that help families support children in their daily growth and development.”

Through Parents As Teachers, Lee’s Summit R-7 families from prenatal through prekindergarten may sign up for free services, including home visits by a trained parent educator, developmental screenings, family resources and parent group connections.

Lee’s Summit currently has more than 1,200 families enrolled in Parents As Teachers, also called PAT, and serves more than 1,750 preschool children. The program includes 24 parent educators as well as a speech/language pathologist.

Through the home visits and screenings, PAT also offers opportunities for early interventions to address developmental delays and health issues.

Mia Prier’s family has been involved in Lee’s Summit’s Parents As Teachers for several years, working with parent educator Debra Stevenson. Prier said she is grateful for both the program and for the additional support from Stevenson.

“She was one of my child’s first educational advocates and helped steer me in the right direction,” Prier said. “I love the bond children and parents get to make with their parent educator and the simple yet effective lessons they bring along with them to their visits. One of our favorites is the ‘sink or float’ lesson. It has inspired all of my children to test out different items that following night in the bath.”

The program’s goals are to increase parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve parenting practices, said Tracy Robinson, lead parent educator.

“Having the chance to meet these needs at the earliest opportunity in the family’s most comfortable environment is an invaluable resource for the overall success and well-being of every family in our community,” Robinson said.

Helping ensure that young children are ready to start school is another goal of Parents As Teachers.

“Our program promotes early learning, knowledge and understanding of child development, and partnerships with community resources,” Robinson added. “These opportunities assist families with a smooth transition into preschool and kindergarten, which support school readiness.”

Home visits by parent educators are designed to provide support to parents, while also promoting each child’s development through individualized activities, she said.

During the pandemic, home visits went virtual but are now mainly in each family’s home.

“While visiting in the family’s home is our preferred venue, we can also accommodate a family’s request for virtual visits and can also schedule visits at our office or at the local library,” Robinson said. “We do our best to schedule around each family’s needs.”

Screenings provide another tool to help determine a child’s individual growth and development, she added, with these screenings including health, hearing and vision checks.

“Annual developmental screenings can support continued growth and identify potential delays or concerns,” Robinson said.

The program’s group connections component focuses on parent-child interactions, providing opportunities for parents and children to meet together in group settings. Parent educators also serve as resources for parents and help connect families to information and community services offering support.

For more information about Parents As Teachers, including how to enroll, visit gbeec.lsr7.org/programs/parents-as-teachers. Currently, there are no waiting lists for new families interested in participating in the program.