With a board-led initiative to invest back into our affiliates, Parents as Teachers seeks to make an outsized impact in communities through our Investing in the Power of Families initiative. This three-pronged initiative strives to support affiliates in restoring families’ enrollment numbers, increase direct services of needed mental and physical health supports to families and grow opportunities within communities that can lead to systemic positive changes through engaged parent leaders.

As with many family support programs, Parents as Teachers affiliates can find themselves using most of their operating dollars on personnel costs. As these costs continue to rise, affiliates may have to divert funding from needed infrastructure and longer-term investments, such as building parent leaders, supporting staff and family mental and physical health needs, staff professional development and community visibility building.

Parents as Teachers is pleased to announce that one of the first activities in this initiative will be offering affiliates the opportunity to apply for newly created 2023 Challenge Grants. These one-time competitive grants will be allotted in the following monetary increments; $10,000, $20,000, and $50,000. All successful applicants will also receive additional funding to purchase marketing materials such as publicity materials, re-design of materials, outdoor signage, promotional items, and/or media purchase.

Affiliates can apply to use the funds in the following categories: Combatting Maternal and Infant Mortality, Family Leadership Development, Workforce Development, Program Quality Improvement, Marketing/Communication Support, and DEIA.

Parents as Teachers affiliates will be receiving an email invitation to apply for these funds in the coming days.