A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

The Missouri Partnership for Parenting Assistance (MPPA) is a broad-based statewide parent education and assistance program. MPPA includes an early childhood component under the auspices of the Missouri Division of the Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc., a school-age component under the auspices of ParentLink, and a family literacy component under the auspices of LIFT.

Literacy Investment For Tomorrow-Missouri (LIFT), Missouri's state literacy resource center, is the lead agency for the Missouri Partnership for Parenting Assistance (MPPA), but all three collaborating agencies will implement the MPPA throughout Missouri with a special focus on St. Louis City, north St. Louis County, and Mississippi County in the southeastern part of the state. Six school districts will work with the MPPA as well as other agencies. The MPPA has 3 goals:

1. Increase Missouri's Capacity to Assist Parents Nurture and Teach Their Children
   The MPPA is expanding Parents as Teachers (PAT) services, with a special focus on reaching more high needs families and expanding the program to 3-5 year olds in addition to those ages 0- 3. The MPPA is also developing ways to assist families in the transition from early childhood education to kindergarten. ParentLink helps parents of children from birth to age 12, Practical Parenting Partnership serves parents and children through high school, and each school district can offer parent education and resources.

2. 2) Expand Literacy Services to Low-Income Families
   The MPPA is expanding the family literacy program model to other rural and urban sites by establishing two Family Literacy centers serving 15 families each. The new sites will be in East Prairie and in St. Louis. They will offer adult education, parenting classes, and PAT services. LIFT will disseminate information about these centers through newsletters to all adult educators in Missouri through its resource center.

3. Strengthen Communication and Collaboration Among Parents, Professionals, and Organizations Serving Families
   The MPPA is increasing access for parents and professionals to parenting materials, resources, and curricula by enabling ParentLink to expand staffing of its statewide parenting center and 1-800 information line. The MPPA is also convening a meeting for Missouri leaders in education and other social services professions to identify resources and gaps in services in order to develop plans for coordinating existing parent education and related services in communities across the state. Also, the MPPA is expanding Practical Parenting Partnerships training and services in Missouri to increase the number of people trained the number of families served by this source of information and support for parents and educators.

Collaborators:

• Literacy Investment for Tomorrow-Missouri
• Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc.
• ParentLink, Inc.
• Charleston School District
• East Prairie School District
• Epworth Bootheel Family Learning Center
• Ferguson-Florissant School District
• Practical Parenting Partnerships
• Rienour School District
• St. Louis Housing Authority
• St. Louis Public Schools
• University City School District

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[PACER Center, Inc.]

[Sunrise Children's Hospital Foundation]