United Way of Central Georgia's commitment to disrupting the cycle of family poverty starts at birth. Children born into poverty have greater odds of not being ready for school than children not born into poverty. Our Parents as Teachers program enrolls families from the beginning of pregnancy until the child enters kindergarten. Over 500 families were served this past year through one of our birth-eight initiatives.
Children’s early interaction with parents and caregivers provides the foundation for everything that follows. Grounded in the latest research, Parents as Teachers develops curricula that support a parent’s role in promoting school readiness and healthy development of children.
Our Parents as Teachers program hosted a graduation ceremony on June 29, 2022, at L.H. Williams Elementary School. Many of the children and families who graduated from the program have been enrolled since their child's birth and have had more than one child in their family finish the program.
Our parent educators organize group sessions and visit with families in their homes to increase parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve parent practices, provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, prevent child abuse and neglect, an increase children’s school readiness and success.
"It's an honor to work with the families in our Parents as Teachers program. We thank them for inviting us into their homes and letting us be an extension of their families. We look forward to serving more families in Central Georgia, so that all children have a bright start to their educational journeys," said Lauralen Avery, UWCG First Steps Community Coordinator.