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More About Parents As Teachers

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 over 195,000 children in all 50 U.S. states, over 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 Charlotte's East and West sides.

Our Impact

Parents as Teachers serves 250 families annually throughout Mecklenburg County. Over 80% of parents participating in YMCA parenting classes experience increased 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

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 tremendous 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, newcomers to the community, psychosocial 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 the Harris YMCA. 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, a newcomer in the community, psycho-social issues, Spanish-speaking, and lack of insurance.

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

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
  • Vanguard Capital for Kids Program