Nonprofit to celebrate spring with 200 area families enrolled in the program.
ST. LOUIS, MO – March 6, 2023 – Staff, family, friends, and supporters of Parents as Teachers from across the region will celebrate spring with 200 families enrolled in the Show Me Strong Families (SMSF) Parents as Teachers program at Busch Stadium on Sunday, April 2 at a season-opening weekend “Day at the Ballpark.” The St. Louis Baseball Cardinals will take on the Toronto Blue Jays.
The annual Parents as Teachers Day at the Ballpark was first held in 2019, during the organization’s 35th Anniversary and Pre-COVID – to build greater awareness about home visiting and Parents as Teachers while celebrating families with young children and our beloved Baseball Cardinals.
Tickets are being offered at a special reduced price of $35 each (including a hot dog, beverage, and commemorative T-shirt) with only 500 available. Individuals may also donate to support sending families served by SMSF Parents as Teachers to the Day at the Ballpark, through a matching donation initiative. To purchase tickets or support families, visit the Parents as Teachers website at https://parentsasteachers.org/2023-pat-day-at-the-ballpark/
“Show Me Strong Families annually serves close to 300 pregnant and parenting families with young children who live in the severely under-resourced areas of north St. Louis County and St. Louis City with parenting support and resources,” said Ann Young, Parent as Teachers’ director of Partnership and Community Engagement. “For every $35 we receive from donations, Parents as Teachers National Center will provide an SMSF family with a single ticket to the game. We want to share this exciting experience with the families we serve and are encouraging everyone to join us for this fun-filled, family-oriented day.”
About Show Me Strong Families
Eighty-one percent of families served by SMSF have two or more high-needs characteristics such as substance use disorder, a parent with a disability, domestic violence, mental health issues, or having an incarcerated parent. Many are teens living in shelters (homeless or domestic violence) or in transitional housing. Despite unimaginable stresses and challenges, these parents and caregivers demonstrate resilience, a commitment to their children’s welfare, a passion for being the best parents, and love without compare.
About Parents as Teachers
Parents as Teachers’ programs build strong communities, thriving families, and children by matching parents and caregivers with trained professionals who make regular personal home visits during a child’s earliest years in life, from pregnancy through kindergarten. The internationally recognized evidence-based home visiting model is backed by 38 years of research-proven outcomes for children and families. Parents as Teachers currently serves 173,000 families in all 50 U.S. states, 115 Tribal organizations, five other countries, and one U.S. territory. Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc. is located in St. Louis, MO.