Parents usually leave teaching to the professionals in school. But, parents, and state legislators, are excited about the Parents as Teachers program.

Angela Winterbauer used to work in the free-enrollment program.

"I aready knew about the program, and knew how important and vital it was for families," she explained. "And, when we had our own children, we don't know everything there is to know about parenting, and I had been out of the program for awhile anyway."

Now Winterbauer is a parent educator for the program.

Parent educators say interaction is good for students and parents.

"We offer parents many opportunities to get together with other parents, added Belinda Masters, Parents as Teachers coordinator, "and attend group meetings and some of our special events."

One of Winterbauer's favorite parts of the program are the hearing and vision tests. She also enjoys family activity nights.

Masters described activity nights "as a way of networking with other parents so that they can share each other's kind of stories about how their children are developing, but also getting their children in the social situation so that they can see how their children are interacting socially and with their peers."

Then-Gov. Kit Bond helped start Missouri's program in 1984.