A Kansas House committee has recommended cutting all funding for the Parents as Teachers program, which would end the program.
Parents as Teachers focuses on helping parents get their children prepared for school and making sure they are on the right track mentally and physically.
The House Social Services Budget Committee on Tuesday recommended cutting $7.2 million for the program, which has staff member visit homes to help parents prepare students for school and connect to community resources. The organization is scheduled to celebrate its 25th anniversary next week.
“We got great advice on what to do and someone who had the measures of where children should be at what ages,” said Martin Klaus, of Wichita. “Having a resource to go to is awesome. It frightens me to think that this could go away.”
Klaus and his wife started using the program years ago, when they were expecting twins. They continue to use it today to help their 21-month-old son stay on track with his development.
They’ve sent their children to weekly social gatherings organized by Parents as Teachers. This not just connects the kids with others their age, but also helps connect parents with others too, Klaus said. They’ve also had experts visit them monthly with their first children, which Klaus said made them feel a lot more comfortable with their parenting skills.
“I don’t know that my kids would have been ready for pre-school and kindergarten in a regular school building if we wouldn’t have gone through the first-things-first program, which is a pre-school program,” he said. “This is not a fluff program. This is something useful. This is something very beneficial to families and children. I really hope they stop and take a look at what it truly is.”
The Hutchinson News reports Rep. Peggy Mast of Emporia proposed the action as part of the state’s response to a multimillion dollar budget shortfall.
Nancy Keel, director of the Kansas Parents as Teachers, says she was caught off guard by the proposal. But she notes lawmakers have tried to end the program in the past and funding was always restored.
A public hearing is set for the program in Topeka next Thursday.