ST. LOUIS, MO. – During the 25^th Anniversary of the Parents as Teachers (PAT) program, U.S. Senator Kit Bond joined the organization’s leadership, local officials and education advocates to promote the PAT vision that all children deserve the opportunity to learn, grow and develop so that they can realize their full potential.

 

“As a new parent looking for an ‘owner’s manual’ to care for a new baby, PAT was my lifeline.  And, just as I reveled in each new stage of Sam’s development from infancy to adulthood, it has meant so much to see PAT grow, develop and expand beyond all our wildest expectations,” said Senator Kit Bond.

 

Sue Stepleton, President and CEO of Parents as Teachers said, “It's thrilling to be celebrating the 25^th anniversary of Parents as Teachers and the 3 million children served by this program in Missouri alone.  It's doubly thrilling to be honoring Senator Bond.  Without Kit when he was Governor, Parents as Teachers might never have gotten such a powerful start.  And without his ongoing support and advocacy it would never have grown to be in all fifty states and 6 countries outside of the United States.  The Senator is an unfailing friend of young children.  He's a Children's Champion and we look forward to the chance to salute him with deep enthusiasm and gratitude.”

 

As the youngest Governor of Missouri to date, Senator Bond played a critical role in the infancy, growth, development and expansion of the Parents as Teachers program. In 1984, Governor Bond signed the Early Childhood Development Act which required all Missouri school districts to provide Parents as Teachers services.  Due in part to his efforts, the Parents as Teachers program today includes more than 3,000 programs in all 50 states and seven foreign countries.  While Bond has fought for policies that make PAT available to all families, his involvement with the program began as a parent, when his son, Sam, was born.

 As a longtime advocate of children and family issues, Senator Bond often warns of the long-term implications of the current economic downturn and its effects on the health of families and the future economy.  In Missouri, nearly one in three children live in single-parent homes and almost one in five come from impoverished families. Bond has stressed that these children cannot wait for the economy to turn around and that the government must invest now in high-quality early childhood education programs.  Bond also continues to stress that investment in PAT pays off – research shows that the PAT program prepares children to enter school and helps children score higher on standardized tests. Moreover, parents who participate in the program are more likely to remain involved in their child’s education.

 

“It is a tremendous honor to be considered a ‘father’ of the PAT program.  And I will always consider it to be a highlight of my career.  But this program has many fathers – and mothers – so many other people deserve the credit for the success of Parents as Teachers,” said Bond. “Thanks to you, the message we are sending to the future – through these children and their parents – is very bright indeed.”

 

            Earlier this year, Bond led a bipartisan group of Senators in reintroducing the Education Begins at Home Act which will expand home visitation programs like Parents as Teachers and establish the first, dedicated federal funding stream to support parents as educators at the state and local level.  In addition to Parents as Teachers, Bond is a strong supporter of Healthy Start and Head Start programs geared toward pregnant women and children in low-income families.  He was a key negotiator in passing the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Act for Better Child Care and most recently joined a bipartisan group of Senators in supporting the Ready to Learn Act which will assist states in funding quality pre-kindergarten programs for 4-year olds.

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