Calling All Missourians - Please Help!

PROPOSED CUT TO PARENTS AS TEACHERS PROGRAM FUNDING
Parents as Teachers Supporters Please Help!

Call or Email to Say NO to Parents as Teachers Budget Cuts!

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon proposed a $4.1 million budget cut as part of his budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year. This 13.2% budget cut comes right after the 10% budget cut that the legislature enacted last year.

Our Governor needs to hear from Parents as Teachers supporters that this cut is a mistake and he should restore the funding immediately.

Founded in Missouri 25 years ago, Parents as Teachers has become the nation's largest evidence-based home visitation program. In Missouri Parents as Teachers programs serve more than 155,000 children annually across the state from Kennett to St. Joe to Palmyra to Kansas City.

~ The 10% cut to Parents as Teachers program enacted last year resulted in Parents as Teachers funding 300 fewer Birth to 3 families and 200 fewer 3-5 families in Parkway. This comes at a time when many of our families are facing crisis and are in need of our support.

~ The proposed budget cut would further reduce the number of families able to receive services, further reduce the number of home visits and group meetings we are able to provide and further reduce the number of our health and developmental screenings.

If you support Parents as Teachers, whether you are a current program participant, former program participant or parent educator, please take the time to contact Governor Nixon to express your disappointment with his decision to cut funding for services that support Missouri's families.

Contact the Governor's office NOW - Call toll free or send an e-mail!

To Call:
· Call (888) 880-8233. This toll-free number, which connects directly to the Governor's office, will be available for Parents as Teachers advocates until Wednesday 2/2/2010. .

· Alternatively you can call the Governor's office directly at 573-751-3222. Keep your call short and to the point:

· Give the receptionist your name and home town

· Identify yourself as a supporter of Parents as Teachers

· Ask that they inform the Governor that you are very disappointed about the $4.1 M cut Please feel free to add a short personal story

· You do not need to talk to another staff member - leaving a message at the desk is perfect!


To Email:
· Send an e-mail through the Parents as Teachers Action Center Just visit the Parents as Teachers National Center website, scroll down to the bottom of the screen, fill in your email address and other information, follow the prompts and personalize the email to the Governor's office and hit "send". http://www.parentsasteachers.org/SAVEMOPAT


If you do not live in Missouri, please forward this onto friends / family that you know who do live in Missouri. Thank you!