Academic Success - Parents as Teachers | YMCA of Greater Charlotte

Academic Success - Parents as Teachers

A CHILD’S JOURNEY STARTS AT HOME

All kids have great potential. At the Y, we know parents are the most important adults in a young child’s life and the biggest contributors to their success. Parent involvement is a critical link in a child's development of learning skills. The YMCA of Greater Charlotte offers Parents as Teachers (PAT program) to provide parents with the information, support and encouragement they need to help their children develop optimally during the crucial early years of life.

Program History

Founded in Missouri in 1984, Parents as Teachers serves more than 195,000 children in all 50 U.S. states, more than 100 tribal organizations, schools and communities and five other countries. The YMCA of Greater Charlotte adopted the Parents as Teachers curriculum in 2007, serving 35 families on the East and West sides of Charlotte.

Our Impact

Parents as Teachers serves 350 families annually throughout Mecklenburg County. Over 80% of parents who participate in YMCA parenting classes experience an increase in parenting knowledge and exhibit positive growth in parenting behaviors. Children who participate in Parents as Teachers:

Are more advanced at age three in language, social development, problem solving and other cognitive abilities
Show better school readiness at the start of kindergarten
Achieve higher reading and math readiness at the end of kindergarten
Achieve higher kindergarten grades, and
Require fewer remedial education placements in first grade

For more information on volunteering, becoming a partner, or ways to offer your financial support for this program, please contact parentsasteachers@ymcacharlotte.org

Program Overview

Partners

Funding

Get Involved

Program Overview

About Parents as Teachers

Parents as Teachers uses an evidence-based model to deliver parent education through personal visits and group meetings. Parent Educators equip parents with knowledge and resources to prepare their children, from prenatal through kindergarten, for a stronger start in life and greater success in school.

The program works with under-resourced families in Mecklenburg County that have at least one child under the age of five and usually have one or more risk-factors — low income level or education, numerous family relocations, newcomer in the community, psycho-social issues and lack of insurance.

The Y offers PAT without cost to families thanks to funding from: Smart Start of Mecklenburg County, Mecklenburg County, Vanguard Strong Start for Kids, Bethlehem Center Early Head Start and Harris Y. PAT works with under-resourced families in Mecklenburg County. Each family must have at least one child under the age of five. Families usually have one or more risk-factors—low income level, low education, numerous family relocations, newcomer in the community, psycho-social issues, Spanish-speaking and lack of insurance.

Partners

PAT Community and Corporate Partners

The Y partners with several community organizations to deliver a robust program. Parents as Teachers’ partners include:

AARP
Bethlehem Center of Charlotte
Charlotte Bilingual Preschool
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Mecklenburg County Health Department
Safe Alliance
Smart Start’s Guiding Parents to Services
RAIN
Read Charlotte
Renaissance West Community Initiative

Funding

Support Parents as Teachers

Parents as Teachers is offered to families at no cost thanks to funding from:

Smart Start of Mecklenburg County,
PNC Foundation,
Bethlehem Center of Charlotte and
Vanguard Capital for Kids Program.

Get Involved

Volunteer with Parents as Teachers

There are several opportunities to get involved with Parents as Teachers. The program relies on volunteer help with program events, including the annual family soccer day in July and program graduation each December.

Explore Opportunities