Missouri recognizes the family’s role as the first and primary educator and the importance of engaging and supporting families so that they may, in turn, support their child’s education and development. Many Missouri early learning and development programs have regular family engagement strategies for their programs.

• Parents As Teachers (PAT) programs serve families in every school district in the state.
• Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting grant has added capacity to Nurse Family Partnerships and Early Head Start.
• The Educare program (in 90 of the state’s 115 counties) supports family, friends and neighbors (FFNs) in working with families.
• ParentLink’s Warmline staff provides problem-solving support to approximately 1,800 individuals per year, including parents, grandparents, and foster parents, as well as parent educators, counselors, caseworkers, juvenile officers, and ministers. ParentLink also makes about 4,500 referrals per year, primarily from young moms.

Much of the state’s efforts are based on the Strengthening Families Framework and building on the Head Start program’s legacy of engaging families and supporting children’s ongoing learning and development. Missouri uses the following standards to inform the level and type of interventions and activities: