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.
CHALLENGE GRANT AWARDEES
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 THE 2024 Challenge Grant Awardees. These competitive grants were allotted in the following monetary increments; $10,000, $25,000, and $50,000. All successful applicants receive additional funding to purchase marketing materials such as publicity materials, re-design of materials, outdoor signage, promotional items, and/or media purchase.
Affiliates applied for funds in the following categories: Combatting Maternal and Infant Mortality, Family Leadership Development, Workforce Development, Program Quality Improvement, Marketing/Communication Support, and DEIA.
We will be highlighting these affiliates and the impactful work they are doing in their communities throughout 2024.
Click HERE for a list of the 2024 Challenge Grant Awardees
EXPANSION
Parents as Teachers is aiming to support affiliates in their expansion efforts by providing supports such as funding webinars, grant writing experts, and funding specific technical assistance. Stay tuned for more details.
FAMILY VOICE AND LEADERSHIP
The purpose of this program is to authentically, intentionally, and meaningfully incorporate family/parent/caregiver voice and lived experience through all levels of the Parents as Teachers organization and field, from the affiliate level to PATNC.
NEXT STEPS:
Watch for an opportunity to add your voice to the conversation. A survey will be going out to affiliates and state offices in the coming weeks or visit the Investing in the Power of Families Poster at the 2023 PAT International Conference.
PAT will be engaging in follow up conversations with affiliates/state offices that are successfully engaging parents.
Also, as part of this piece of the Investing in the Power of Families initiative, PAT is scanning the landscape to gather best practices regarding the journey towards authentic engagement as well as to identify consultants—potentially parents/caregivers currently engaged with programs or advisory councils—to help us move forward. If you have recommendations for consultants, please contact alison.gee@parentsasteachers.org or falyn.taylor@parentsasteachers.org.